Tag Archives: Author Interview

April 24, 2021 · 8:33 am

Author Interview with Gabbi Grey & New Release: If Only for Today (Deerbourne Inn) ~ #AHAgrp #Blog #WRPbks

Please help me welcome today’s guest, Gabbi Grey…

Good morning, Gabbi. Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets? 

I’m a happy Canadian woman enjoying mid-life in beautiful British Columbia.  I live with a five-year-old bubbly happy Chinpoo named Ally, and a seventeen-year-old blind cantankerous Himalayan cat named Lady Arabella de Bergerac (better known as Bella).

Where did you get the idea for If Only for Today?  

The Deerbourne Inn series by The Wild Rose Press had piqued my interest a couple of years ago.  I wrote a book for the series, My Past, Your Future, which is a gay paranormal romance.  I encountered the character of the inn clerk Jared, and I just knew I had to tell his story.  That he deserved a happy ending.  I had to convince the publisher I could tell his story with heart and joy.  The book is a sweet gay romance, and I have to say I’m really proud of it.

What do you dislike that most people wouldn’t understand? 

Coffee.  Hands-down.  So many people love it and I can’t stand it.

What’s the main thing that you could get rid of in your life that would give you more writing time? 

I would answer flippantly that my day job would need to go.  Truth is, I love my job and helping people every day gives me purpose.  So if I could give up my addition to cable news, that would free up more time for writing.

What do you want readers to come away with after they If Only for Today? 

I know it sounds cheesy, but I’m hoping readers will come away seeing that love is love.  If a reader has never tried a gay romance, I encourage them to try this one.  The book is a sweet story about two men falling in love.  To be clear – there are high emotional stakes.  I don’t let my characters off easy.  That being said, the book ends in a true happy ending.

Would you rather have a bad review or no review?

Tough question.  I appreciate when readers take the time to let me know how they feel about a book.  That being said, a bad review can be tough to deal with.  You tell yourself that it’s just one person’s opinion, but it can hurt.

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 would love to spend the day with Jared in Willow Springs, Vermont.  I’ve had the pleasure of writing about the town twice now, but I’ve never been to Vermont.  And if you’re going to get a tour, why not with one of the most well-loved members of the community.

What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment? 

The toughest criticism is always the first round of edits when the manuscript comes back with so much red ink.  I like to believe I’m good with grammar – my editor will attest I need more work.  The best compliment came from a reader who had never read a gay romance before and she loved my book.  The book resonated with her, and her comment was along the lines of love being love.

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination? 

I’ve been known to warn friends that they might turn up in one of my books.  Do I ever base a character solely on someone I know?  Rarely.  My characters are composites of the people in my sphere.

What do your friends and family think of your writing? 

Most of my friends and extended family are extremely supportive.  They ask how the writing is going, and they follow each new release.  My parents, unfortunately, do not support or understand my writing.  They don’t understand the compulsion to write and the need to tell stories.  Needless to say, I stick to my supporters.

Who is the most famous person you have ever met? 

I don’t run in celebrity circles, but I did have lunch with Diana Gabaldon and I admit to being a little star-struck.

 Your favorite…

Movie – Grosse Pointe Blank

Music – Hamilton Soundtrack

Place you’ve visited – Nova Scotia

Place you’d like to visit – Scotland

Food – Mac & Cheese

Sports team – Toronto Blue Jays

Which do you prefer: Board games or television?  Trivia.  I love trivia.

 

Thank you, Gabbi. I enjoyed getting to know you. And, you’re right about coffee…I don’t get why you don’t like it. I’m drinking it as we speak. 😀 – And I love that you’re a baseball fan, but my team is the Cincinnati, Reds. I like the Blue Jays though! Now, please tell us about your book…

 

He came looking for solitude. He might leave after finding love

Blurb

Jared Langford is a happy man. The desk clerk at the Deerbourne Inn knows everyone in his cozy town in Vermont. He is accepted and loved by the community, but he’s missing someone special in his life.

Devastating news has brought journalist Xander Fortier to Willow Springs for some much-needed rest. He’s photographed every major conflict in the world for the last ten years, but being stateside has forced him to reassess the solitary life he’s been living.

Something in Xander’s gruff demeanor calls to Jared’s caring nature. Soon the men are spending time together, but Jared’s kisses might not be enough to keep Xander from leaving. Can the men find a happily ever after if they only have today?

 

Exclusive Excerpt

  1. Fortier.

The name was familiar, but Jared couldn’t place it. A former guest? Oh, maybe someone famous. That’d happened a few times in town, and although he played it cool, celebrity spotting was fun.

He was switching over to People Will Say We’re in Love when the door opened. He exited the backroom and stopped short.

Holy hell.

Playing it cool was going to be a bit of a challenge. This was Xander Fortier. The Xander Fortier. The photojournalist. The winner of the Prix Bayeux-Calvados two years in a row. The man who’d been shot in Syria and, if rumors were correct, had stitched himself up and kept searching for the perfect shot to show the horrors of war.

That Xander Fortier.

A throat clearing brought Jared back from his hero-worshipping ruminations. He indicated Mr. Fortier should approach the counter. Should he acknowledge knowing who the man was, or pretend to be ignorant?

“I’m here to check in.”

The deeply resonant voice hit Jared square in the chest. His fantasies occasionally featured a deep voice. The reality was so much sexier. “Of course.” Did he just stammer? Damn.

“I know I’m early, but I’m hoping it might be all right—”

“It’s fine.” Jared ran a hand through his hair. “Uh, the room is empty, so once I confirm your information, you’re free to go up and have a shower. Or a nap. Or whatever it is you’re going to do.” Ramble much?

Bio

Gabbi lives in beautiful British Columbia where her fur baby chin-poo keeps her safe from the nasty neighborhood squirrels. Working for the government by day, she spends her early mornings writing contemporary, gay, sweet, and dark erotic BDSM romances. While she firmly believes in happy endings, she also believes in making her characters suffer before finding their true love. She also writes m/f romances as Gabbi Black.

Links:

Amazon US:  https://amzn.to/3fOsviy

Amazon CA:  https://amzn.to/31LG1LP

KOBO:  https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/if-only-for-today

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/if-only-for-today-gabbi-grey/1138919955

iBooks:  https://books.apple.com/us/book/if-only-for-today/id1556170342

Publisher:  https://www.thewildrosepress.com/book-post/if-only-for-today

Add it to Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57730616-if-only-for-today

 

Personal links:

Website: https://gabbigrey.com/

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/gabbi-grey

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15456297.Gabbi_Grey

Amazon Author Central: https://www.amazon.com/Gabbi-Grey/e/B07SJVFX1M

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorgabbigrey/

Facebook (page): https://www.facebook.com/AuthorGabbiGrey

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GabbiGrey

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February 17, 2021 · 8:25 am

Author Interview with Terry Korth Fischer & New Release: Gone Astray – GIVEAWAY!!

Please help me welcome today’s guest, Terry Korth Fischer…

Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets? 

I have lived in Texas most of my adult life, although I was born in South Dakota. When I was a child, our family moved often, but we always spent summers visiting our grandparents in Nebraska. I have wonderful memories of those times. To this day, Eastern Nebraska holds a special place in my heart and is the setting for much of my writing.

Where did you get the idea for Gone Astray?

A dozen years ago, I wrote a short story a month to share it with my sister, mother, and a few cousins. They did the same. Some of us were writers; the others were good sports. As you can imagine, over time, one by one, they dropped out. My challenge was to continue to write without the family commitment. Writing a novel was the answer. I read a lot of mysteries—traditional, cozy, and thrillers. I thought, why not? I can do that. Right around the same time, a friend’s mother disappeared. One morning she was fine, and the next, she was gone without a trace. A missing woman is not the main story in Gone Astray, but it was the spark that started the whole creative process.

Are there any tricks, habits or superstitions you have when creating a story?

If I have to admit to anything, it would be to over-organizing. I like an outline before I begin and then write toward an ending. The novel’s shape flexes as the story grows and matures, and I’ve been known to toss the plan aside. I don’t think I could get started without one.

What actors would you like in the main roles if your book were made into a movie?

I don’t think I could cast the actors—especially Rory Naysmith, my protagonist. I hope I’ve written the characters so that readers see them in their mind’s eye, and they can select the perfect flesh-and-blood actor for each role. Of course, I picture each character before I write. The internet is full of movie and TV celebrity images. I cold-heartedly steal their pictures and post them in my scrivener software to stay inspired. 

What genre have you never written that you’d like to write?

My husband devours westerns. I would love to surprise him by writing one. Maybe, someday.

What is your favorite quote?

Years ago, I received a humorous greeting card. On the front, a cartoon hippo dressed in a tutu stood at the top of a platform, preparing to dive. Fifty feet below sat a half-filled paper cup. The caption read, “Nothing is obvious to the uninformed.” I love that. When you can’t imagine failure, how hard can any task be?

Are your characters based on real people, or did they all come entirely from your imagination?

All my characters have pieces I’ve taken from real people, not replicas as much as bits of attitude and personalities borrowed. The trick is to blend the traits into the fictional characters, so the models don’t recognize themselves.  

What do your friends and family think of your writing?

My whole family is supportive. It would be wonderful if they were readers, as well.

What character in your book are you least likely to get along with?

That’s easy. Marilyn Beauregard is a seventyish busy-body widow. With a flashy wardrobe, nosy tendencies, and nerves of steel—she’s been there; done that. Marilyn’s a gal that gets in your way for your own good—precisely the kind of person I would cross the street to avoid.

 

I want to thank you for having me here today.

My pleasure, Terry…thank you for being my guest!

#Giveaway!!

Terry is giving away a $15 Amazon Gift card to one lucky commenter!!

Blurb*

A heart attack sends detective Rory Naysmith reeling. Too young to retire, he accepts a position in small-town Winterset, Nebraska. Handed an unsolved truck hijacking case, and the assistance of a rookie, Rory sets out to prove he is still able to go toe-to toe with men half his age. When the body of a Vietnam veteran turns up, he dons his fedora and spit-shines his shoes. But before he can solve the murder, an older woman disappears, followed closely by a second hijacking. He doggedly works the cases, following a thread that ties the crimes together.  But can Rory find the mental and physical strength to up his game and bring the criminals to justice before disaster strikes?

Excerpt*

“Powell’s back,” he said to Esther.

She pushed off from the wall. “Thank you.” They stood toe to toe, Esther’s chin level with his eyes. “I think Sunny wants you.”

Rory looked in the dispatcher’s direction, his gaze passing over the security monitors on the way. On the center screen, Chief Mansfield’s face stretched from edge to edge. Clutching the phone to his ear with a beefy hand, he glared into the camera.

The chief wanted him. Rory’s mouth went dry. He swallowed hard as the first hit of adrenaline kicked in. Hot damn—it was about time!

Buy link(s) Gone Astray amazon https://amzn.to/2LHnlYI

Buy link Gone Astray Barnes & Noble https://bit.ly/3q5h4Wh

Bio*

Terry Korth Fischer writes short stories, mystery, and memoir. Her memoir, Omaha to Ogallala, released in 2019, S&H Publishing, Inc. and Gone Astray, her debut mystery, The Wild Rose Press, in 2021. Her short stories have appeared in numerous print anthologies and online magazines. Terry is a member of SinC, Pennwriters, Inc. and Clear Lake Area Writers. Transplanted from the Midwest, Terry lives in Houston with her husband and their two guard cats.

Contact links

Website: https://terrykorthfischer.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/terryiswriting

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerryIsWriting

Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/author/terrykorthfischer

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14349440.Terry_Korth_Fischer

Book  Gem Author Page: https://www.bookgems.com/profile/tkfischer/

BLOG Website: https://www.terryiswriting.com

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November 22, 2019 · 8:13 am

Author Interview with Jayne York ~ New Release: If Wishes Were Horses

Please help me welcome today’s guest, Jayne York…

Good morning, Jayne. Thank you for joining me today.

Do you have another occupation, other than writer? If so, what is it and do you like it?

I’m a professional jeweler specializing in custom design and manufacturing. Writing is my second career, and just like my first, it fills all those gaping holes yearning for productive creativity.

What’s the main thing that you could get rid of in your life that would give you more writing time?

Distraction, I’m easily led astray.

What do you want readers to come away with after they read If Wishes Were Horses?

This is a story of lessons learned and the strength they bring. My main characters are both at turning points in their lives. How they handle the changes and the challenges is the crux of the story.

What actors would you like in the main roles if your book were made into a movie?

Debra Messing and Hugh Jackman.

Have you written any other books that are not published?

My WIP is a fast-paced heist enmeshed in a love story. Tentatively titled, “Midnight Acquisition”, I hope it will be out this time next year. After that, maybe a sequel to “If Wishes Were Horses.”

What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

I was advised to put the MS under the bed and move on. But I believed in the story and kept at it until I had it the way I wanted it. The message there—trust your gut and listen to people with experience and a keen eye. The flip side compliment—another author called me a “Unicorn” because not only is this my first book, but my first pitch and was picked up by the first publisher I queried. Incredible luck all around, I know. Hope it holds going forward.

How did you come up with the title?

It was something my mother used to say to me all the time. Usually when I was whining about not having what I wanted.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

If I had to put a finger on the message; Remember to forgive yourself for doing the best you could when you fail. Life is a long road, and it’s full of potholes. So try to stay out of the weedy ditches.

 

BLURB:
Emily Converse never expected to return to Tamarack, Colorado. But she’s determined to rescue her drug-addicted brother and start a new life. Standing in her way, she finds her stepfather, a powerful US senator, looming over her future like the ever-present monster he’d been during their childhood. Meeting wounded retired Navy SEAL, Michael McCandlis, is a steamy surprise in her homecoming, though he’s adrift in civilian life. Together can they find a way to transform from victims to survivors?

EXCERPT:
Once upon a time, she’d run away from Tamarack like her heels were on fire, and now here she was volunteering to step back into the furnace. What was the definition of insanity? Doing the same things over and over, expecting a different outcome. Like if she managed to change, be stronger, be smarter, things would turn out better—different. It wouldn’t be that simple. She downshifted the Jeep to slow for the last of the S-shaped turns on the narrow ribbon of asphalt. The road led her past the pretentious granite columns that marked her stepfather’s compound. She wasn’t consciously holding her breath, but a trickle of fear dribbled down her spine just the same. Her molars ground together in determination. The past wouldn’t decide her present, not ever again. In spite of herself, images of her last day on his estate flashed through her mind like the herky-jerky frames of a child’s flip deck animation. Fear sharpened every visual, clarified every word, enhanced every touch. She’d run down the steps, racing for her car. He’d charged after her, smelling of alcohol and fury when he tried to stop her headlong rush toward an unknown future. They’d screamed out their mutual hatred, all the bitter dregs of their time together. She smirked when she remembered getting in the lucky shove that had landed him in a heap on the ground. It had been her first glimpse that Senator Ray Domenico was not the invincible, all-powerful monster she’d known him to be.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
I’ve been an avid reader and sometime writer all of my life. I’ve never been able to resist the draw of a good story, and that has been true in my professional life as well. I was raised as the third of three children in the Colorado high country. Early on I discovered the joy of creating handcrafted jewelry, which led to a forty-five-year career as a professional jeweler. Every customer, every piece has its own story. I’ve collected them like pearls in a strand, and I often use them as a jumping-off point for the tales I tell. If you’re looking for me, you’ll find me on the shores of a northern lake, hammering away on my latest story of love and life in the modern world. ~*~ Find Jayne online at: http://www.JayneYork.com

Website: JayneYork.com

Blog: JayneYork.com/What’sOnMyMind/

Email: Jayne@JayneYork.com

Twitter: @JayneYorkAuthor

Facebook: JayneYorkAuthor

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November 9, 2019 · 8:43 am

Author Interview with ML Erdahl ~ New Release: Winter Takes All

I am very pleased to host today’s guest. I had the pleasure of editing this fabulous book, and of meeting the author face to face at a conference in Seattle. He’s funny and personable and very talented. Please help me welcome ML Erdahl.

 

Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets?

My family were early homesteaders of Gig Harbor, WA.  They witnessed the city go from dirt roads and pristine forests, to the medium sized city that it is today.  I grew up there and attended college at the University of Washington in Seattle. Today, I live in Renton with my wife and a houseful of neurotic rescue pets.

Where did you get the idea for Winter Takes All?

 My writing story for Winter Takes All began with a genre swap suggested by my wife. Her favorite fiction genres are Mysteries and Thrillers, while mine is Fantasy.  She gave me Nevada Barr, Janet Evanovich, and Mary Daheim novels to read, and I gave her Robert Jordan. I loved the stories I was given, which were so different from the long epic adventures I was used to. I enjoyed the wit of the genre, as well as the concept of a ordinary person being forced out of their comfort zone to the point where they find themselves investigating a crime.

During the long bus rides to-and-fro work, I must have been inspired, because an idea for a cozy mystery percolated in my head. I began writing it down over the next year. After I’d finished my book, I read it back.  I’m not going to lie, it was pretty mediocre, but I could see the elements of a great story.  I began to study how to write fiction, and applying what I’d learned, re-wrote the entire book to its present incarnation.

The moral of this particular story for aspiring writers is to learn how to write, and then begin writing. I still believe that the best learning tool is to practice, but having an idea where you’re going will help you get there faster. Trust me on this.

Do you have another occupation, other than writer? If so, what is it and do you like it?

By day, I’m an environmental chemist. My company specializes in analyzing fuel spills. We’ve received samples from the Exxon Valdez to the Deepwater Horizon gulf spill. It’s a satisfying job in that I know I leave the world a cleaner place with my work.

What do you dislike that most people wouldn’t understand?

Being from the Pacific Northwest and of Norwegian descent, you’d think I’d like seafood, but I can’t stand the stuff.  Whenever I eat it, my wife accuses me of “making the face.”

What was your first job?

Mowing lawns.  I still like yard work, but I remember one old lady’s yard I mowed had so very many snakes. Harmless garter snakes, but they still gave me the heebie-jeebies.

What’s your favorite book of all time and why? What’s your favorite childhood book?

A favorite book is a tough one since I love two genres, cozy mystery and fantasy. Therefore I’m going to cheat and pick two, Janet Evanovich’s “One for the Money”, and Brandon Sanderson’s “Mistborn”. Both of those authors know how to write the most memorable characters.  My favorite childhood book was Shel Silverstein’s delightful poetry in “Where the Sidewalk Ends”.

What do you want readers to come away with after they read Winter Takes All?

I want people to read my novel and feel like they escaped on a wild ride. I want a reader to turn the last page and immediately download my next book to continue the adventure.

What genre have you never written that you’d like to write?

Someday I’d like to take a crack at my other favorite genre, Fantasy. All of the advice to authors is to stay in your lane and not switch genres, because you’ll lose your audience. However, I don’t think I want to let life pass me by without taking a shot at it.

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?

For the most part, they are made up, but after I was done writing, I discovered my brain had also frankensteined bits and pieces of various people in my life. I recognized different attributes of friends and family in my characters.

What do your friends and family think of your writing?

They are my biggest cheerleaders.  My wife spends hours every day either helping me directly or doing more around the house to give me more time to write.  Furthermore, many of my family and friends were my beta-readers, who took time to not only read the earlier drafts, but give me valuable feedback. I couldn’t ask for a better support system.

How did your interest in writing originate?

In middle school, our English teacher had us free write for an hour once a week and I was hooked. After moving on from that grade, I continued writing short stories to amuse myself and my friends. However, it wasn’t until the last few years that I began to take writing seriously.  Reading books on writing from KM Weiland, Jane Friedman, and Stephen King has shown me how much effort needs to go into each and every sentence to make a compelling story. Instead of being intimidating, it has inspired me.

Your favorite…

Movie Shawshank Redemption

Music Eclectic

Place you’ve visited Venice

Place you’d like to visit Greece

TV show from childhood Night Court

TV show from adulthood Game of Thrones

Food Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese

Sports team Seahawks

Which do you prefer: Board games/card games or television? Board Games/Card games

Great interview, it was fun getting to know more about you, ML. Now, please tell us about your book…

 

Blurb:

Crystal Rainey is aghast when she realizes her new year’s resolutions haven’t changed one whit from the previous year. Wanting to escape a future as dreary as a Pacific Northwest winter, she walks out on her dead-end office job, despite her tenuous savings account.

Stumbling across a job opening posted by a wilderness guide outfit, an intrigued Crystal bluffs her way into the position. With handsome fellow guide, the stalwart Conner Oakes, she leads a corporate retreat on a snowshoe hike to a majestic alpine chalet.

But when the company’s detestable owner turns up dead in the snow, she fears her new life and budding romance slipping away. She finally has something worth fighting for and is determined to solve the murder and grab her chance at happiness before it’s too late.

Excerpt:

Not the most auspicious start to my guiding career, Crystal admitted to herself.

Conner sat back down, took a grateful swig of the coffee and sighed. “This could have gone better,” he said stating the obvious.

“What happens next?” Crystal asked.

“We wait until dawn, see if he turns up, and escort everyone out of here. Hopefully, Philip is waiting for us at the lodge, and we can drive this whole miserable lot back to the city a day early. In the meantime, I suggest we follow everyone’s lead and try to get a little shuteye.”

Conner’s radio crackled with Sam’s voice, “We’ve found the missing man from your group, Conner. He’s at the bottom of a cliff. I’m sorry to say this search and rescue operation has become a search and recover.”

Conner paled at the news.

“What does ‘search and recover’ mean?” Crystal asked.

“It means he’s dead.”

*************************

Buy Links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Apple Books

Biography:

ML Erdahl lives amidst the trees of the Pacific Northwest, where he pens humorous cozy mystery novels set in the wilderness he has spent his lifetime exploring. The only thing slowing him down is when his adorable rescue dogs, Skip and Daisy, demand to be petted and cuddled on his lap while he types. When he’s not wandering the mountains, you can find him gardening, reading, or searching for the best coffee in Seattle with his wife, Emily.

Social Media Links:

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Goodreads

Bookbub

Pinterest

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September 12, 2019 · 7:00 am

Author Interview & The Keys: Voice of the Turtle by Karen Hulene Bartell

Please help me welcome Wild Rose Press Author Karen Hulene Bartell…

Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets?

Thank you for inviting me to your blog, Alicia! I was born in Jersey City, NJ, to rolling-stone parents who moved annually. My earliest playmates were fictional friends in books. Paperbacks were my portable pals. Ghost stories kept me up at night—reading feverishly. The paranormal was my passion. Wanderlust inherent, I enjoyed traveling, although I loathed changing schools—seven schools by the time I entered ninth grade.

Novels offered an imaginative escape. An only child, I began my first novel at nine, but stopped after several days. (Said I needed to learn more first.) Professor emeritus of the University of Texas at Austin, I live in the Texas Hill Country with my husband Peter and my mews—three rescued cats and a rescued *Cat*ahoula Leopard dog.

Where did you get the idea for THE KEYS: VOICE OF THE TURTLE?

The idea for THE KEYS: VOICE OF THE TURTLE came to me as my husband and I drove Highway 1 through the Keys all the way to Key West. (Something about travel always spurs my imagination.) Key West itself is so chock-full of history and ghosts, the two apparitions almost wrote themselves into this Mainstream Fantasy. Even Key West’s original name evokes mystery. The Spaniards called it Cayo Hueso, meaning Island of Bones, because they found human bones scattered across the island’s white beaches when they first arrived. Since I love turtles, the underlying  message of this novel is saving one of the few remaining sea-turtle nesting beaches from being developed into a hotel and lost forever to the turtles.

Why did you choose the Mainstream Fantasy genre?

I like to read stories that include mystery, romance, nature, and the supernatural.  As a result, I write stories that include those four elements. Although a romance develops between Keya and a dashing sailor, this is not a “Romance,” even though a budding love develops between a thirty-something man and woman.

A body washes up on the beach and begins a whodunnit mystery, but two other mysteries also crop up. Though Keya finds buried treasure and love, can she save the beach? Can Ruth find the body’s murderer or help Bart solve his 400-year-old mystery? Despite all these mysteries to solve and resolve, this is not a “Mystery.”

I chose the Mainstream Fantasy genre because where else can readers join the characters’ adventures as they fall in love, mingle with ghosts, and talk with turtles?

Was there any anecdote about THE KEYS: VOICE OF THE TURTLE you’d like to share?

Yes, finding the name Keya for one of the main characters—who is Native American and a turtle aficionado—was kismet.

In the Lakota Sioux language, Keya means Turtle. The setting of the Mainstream Fantasy novel is the Florida Keys, and the premise is protecting sea turtles and their nesting beaches. The title is The Keys: Voice of the Turtle.

Are there any tricks, habits or superstitions you have when creating a story?

The only writing “tricks” I have are these two:

  1. I can only write in the morning when I’m fresh—which often means getting up at 3:30, so I can write before my day begins, and
  2. I write every day, which keeps the story going. Even afternoons, when I’m busy with other obligations, my mind continues thinking about what the characters will do next.

What do you love that most people don’t like and wouldn’t understand why you do?

I love researching my books and going on “Tory n’ Mom” trips with my dog—for instance, going on Louisiana’s Creole Nature Trail and getting cornered by a bobcat or walking through the Wetland Walkway and meeting an alligator. I love nature and enjoy going on rock hunts near the Rio Grande in Terlingua’s mountains, or walking barefoot through White Sands, New Mexico, or climbing the Franklin Mountains, or sitting in an open cattle trailer at dawn, waiting for Nebraska’s Prairie Chickens to begin their “dance.”

Have you written any other books that are not published?

I have. My Master’s Thesis was my first unpublished book—although, I plan to rewrite it at some later time. I also began a book and could not find enough material or inspiration to finish it. However, I “cannibalized” what I wrote, reusing bits of it in several other books 😉

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?

Completely, yet not at all. Let me explain 😉 I take pieces of people—facial or other physical features, mannerisms, unusual speech inflections, or temperaments. Then, I combines these qualities into a wholly new character. Once in Taipei, Taiwan, I followed a man into a bookstore because he absolutely looked like the mental picture I carried of one of my characters.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Yes, in THE KEYS: VOICE OF THE TURTLE, the underlying message is to save one of the Keys’ few remaining sea-turtle nesting beaches from being developed into a hotel complex and lost forever to the turtles.

How much of the book is realistic?

All of it, yet none of it. Let me explain 😉 Like I “piece together” characters, I merge real places (and sometimes events) with total fiction. Hopefully the result is a seamlessly “realistic” amalgamation that is plausible and could happen yet is rooted from my imagination.

How did your interest in writing originate?

Characters in books were my earliest playmates. Paperbacks were my portable pals. Ghost stories kept me up at night—reading feverishly. My mother didn’t care how late I stayed up—if I read. The result? Writing—it’s the natural extension of reading. Besides, what reader can resist creating her own ending?

Your favorite…

Movie ~ Gone With the Wind

Music ~ Classic oldies

Place you’d like to visit ~ Ireland

Food  ~ Any new ethnic dish

Thank you, Karen. Great interview. Gone with the Wind is my favorite movie too!

Now, Karen has a question for you…

Question for readers ~ If you could write a book, what would be its theme?

THE KEYS: VOICE OF THE TURTLE Blurb:

Finding buried treasure and love, Keya moves forward, but can she save the beach? Can Ruth find Maita’s murderer or help Bart solve his 400-year-old mystery? Join their adventures as they mingle with ghosts and talk with turtles.

THE KEYS: VOICE OF THE TURTLE Excerpt:

“These nesting grounds are the reason I’ve fought to keep this property intact. If this beach is developed, the impact will destroy it, but fighting the lawsuit is expensive. I’d hate to sell this place to pay court costs.”

“But you said keeping the nesting grounds intact is only part of the reason you stay.” Ruth gave her a sympathetic smile. “What’s the rest of it?”

“Call it my legacy.” Keya stood up straight. “When I’m gone, I’d like this beach to remain as nature intended it…for the turtles. Since I’ve never had children—”

Earnestine meowed.

Keya grinned. “That is, except for my furry, four-legged kids, I’ve never had children. I have no one to leave it to other than who or what will make the best use of it. Conveying this land to the turtles would be my way of leaving the world a better place.” She turned toward Ruth. “Does that make sense?”

Ruth nodded. Her cousin’s intentions were clear. “But legally, how can you will the property to the turtles?”

“Easy. I leave it to the Turtle Refuge.” Keya chuckled as they meandered along the beach. “And this is where you come in. When you’re writing the brochure, add a few paragraphs about planned giving and charitable bequests…” Keya stared as if in a trance.

“What’s wrong?”

Her hand shaking, Keya pointed to a shady patch of beach half hidden by sand dunes. A lifeless hand lay tangled in seaweed, its fingernails broken and bloodied.

THE KEYS: VOICE OF THE TURTLE Buy Links:

Kindle: https://amzn.to/2XV2wO1

Paperback: https://amzn.to/316xbWM

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH KAREN HULENE BARTELL:

Newsletter: info@karenhulenebartell.com

Web Page: http://www.karenhulenebartell.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarenHuleneBartell

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KarenHuleneBart

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August 26, 2019 · 5:45 am

Author Interview & His Magic Touch by Debby Grahl

Please help me welcome Wild Rose Press Author Debby Grahl…

Hello Debby…so happy to host you today. Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from?  Where do you live now?

I’m originally from Lincoln Park Michigan. This is a little south of Detroit. Now I live on Hilton Head Island, SC. My husband and I decided we were tired of cold weather, so after living in Dayton, Ohio, for twenty years, we headed south when he retired.

I have a disease of the retina called Retinitis Pigmentosa which causes gradual vision loss. I lost the ability to read in my early twenties, but even when I had sight, seeing the printed word was always difficult for me. Reading a book would take me twice as long as  a person with normal sight. I became frustrated with this and began to make up my own stories. It wasn’t until the invention of screen reading software that I was able to put my stories into print.

Family? Pets? 

I have family spread all over the US, but most of them are in Michigan.

I lost my cat Tigger last year. We took him in as a stray and had him for ten years. I still miss him.

Where did you get the idea for your book?

His Magic Touch is a paranormal romance set in new Orleans which is one of my favorite cities to visit and write about. From my first visit, I was intrigued by the magic, mystery, and legends that surround you. All you have to do is walk the streets of the French Quarter to feel the history of the city. People claim witches and ghosts also walk the streets, and I have to admit I believe it might be true. It was while touring St. Louis #1, the oldest above ground cemetery in the city, standing in front of the tomb of the Voodoo  queen Marie Laveau, that the idea for His Magic Touch began. I swear she zapped me because I started feeling faint and had to leave the tour. Now, my husband will tell you it was due to the heat, but I felt fine until we approached  her tomb. I think my version is more interesting, and  I began my research into local witchcraft and hauntings.

Why did you choose this genre (is it something you’ve written in before)?

I’ve always enjoyed reading books with ghost and witches.  I like using them in my writing because they’re so versatile. You can have a nice or a mean ghost.  You can have  ghosts that are visible and those that aren’t. I also enjoy using ghosts of historical characters. My witches are normal people with different stages of power.

Do you collect anything?

I love cranberry glass. I have some ruby flash glass lamps which are from the twenties and what is known as thumbprint glasses. I also have have a number of pieces from the Avon Cape Cod collection.

What’s the main thing that you could get rid of in your life that would give you more writing time?

This would be everyday distractions. I wish I could close myself up in a room and ignore laundry, cleaning the house, answering the phone, and doing errands.

The other would be marketing my books. I understand this is necessary, but the time I have to spend on social media makes me crazy.

What’s your favorite book of all time and why? What’s your favorite childhood book?

My favorite childhood books are the Pippi Longstockings series.

Would you rather have a bad review or no review?

I love reviews! Although I hold my breath each time there’s a new one. Being an author, you have to learn quickly not to take bad reviews to heart. Even though  your book is your baby, and you want to challenge anyone who doesn’t love it as much as you do, you have to ignore those that are nasty and move on.

What is your favorite quote?

Murder is always a mistake. One should never do anything that one cannot talk about after dinner. ATTRIBUTION: Oscar Wilde (1854–1900),

What do you want your tombstone to say?

She never gave up.

If you could be a character in any of your books, who would you be?

This would be Caterine Doucette  from my contemporary  romance Rue Toulouse. When Caterine meets sexy  x-cop Remi Michaud, her life of pampered privilege turns into one of hot sex and danger.

Have you written any other books that are not published?

I’m working on a series which takes place in the Carolinas. Mountain Blaze is the first and is under consideration by The Wild Rose Press.

What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

My first mistake in writing was thinking that you just write the book, send it to a publisher or agent, and away you go. Not! I sent the first twenty-five pages to a publisher who was offering a free critique. She wrote back and said I had a good idea for a story if I could write it. She said she marked all my writing mistakes in red. Well, most of the page was in red.

The biggest thrill in my life is when a reader tells me how much they enjoyed my books. The thought that what I write brings someone a little pleasure, still amazes me.

 

Thank you, Debby. I enjoyed the interview. I was a huge Pippi fan when I was a child. Loved to read those book! Now, please tell us about your book.

New Orleans, known as the Crescent City or the Big Easy, just celebrated its three-hundredth anniversary. It was first settled by the French, then taken over by the Spanish, sold back to the French, who then sold it to the United States.

The city’s historic past includes such characters as the famous pirate, Jean Lafitte, and the infamous Delphine LaLaurie who in 1834 was run out of New Orleans when her mansion caught fire and tortured slaves were discovered. And such locales as the notorious Storyville red light district, the iconic riverboat gamblers, and everyone’s favorite party, Mardi Gras.

My husband David and I first visited New Orleans in 1989 and fell in love with the city. I’m a history buff by heart so I found the old Spanish architecture with its wrought iron balconies enchanting. All you have to do is walk the streets of the French Quarter to feel the magic.

There’s a saying, “Only in New Orleans.” And this is so true. As I sat on our hotel balcony sipping a glass of wine and munching on a bag of voodoo chips, I could  see a musician setting up on the corner. Soon the clear sounds of his saxophone filled the night. The smell of spicy gumbo from the restaurant across the street wafted through the air.  The clip clop of a horse- drawn carriage passed beneath me, its driver thrilling his passengers with tales of the ghosts who haunt the city. A man, painted silver, walked along juggling oranges, while a bicycle cab pedaled by. On Bourbon Street, a second line band marched past. A group of laughing tourists carrying red go cups went into a bar, and the long low whistle of a paddle wheeler on the river could be heard.

As I sat there taking it all in, I thought what a wonderful place to set a story. From its diverse people and cultures to its incredible food, such as hot sugary beignets, po boy sandwiches, and crawfish etouffee; every kind of music from funky blues to jazz, rock ‘n roll to country; and Voodoo shops, haunted houses, and above-ground cemeteries.

People claim witches and ghosts walk the streets, and I have to admit sometimes I believe it’s true. It was while touring St. Louis #1, the oldest above-ground cemetery in the city, standing in front of the tomb of the Voodoo queen, Marie Laveau, that the idea for His Magic Touch began. I swear she zapped me. I started feeling faint and had to leave the tour. Now, my husband will tell you it was because of the heat, but I felt fine until we approached her tomb. I think my version is more interesting. I began my research into local witchcraft and hauntings.

The Hotel Monteleone, on Royal Street, is one of the settings I use in the book. Not only known for its Carousel Bar, it’s also one of the most haunted hotels in the city.

I hope His Magic Touch brings a little of New Orleans to life for you, and you’ll get a chance to visit this unique city on the Mississippi.

The night before Jared Dupre’s wedding, a specter warns him the demonic witch, Adam Montief, has kidnapped his brother in a centuries-old vendetta unknown to Jared. A powerful witch himself, Jared tracks Adam from New Orleans to a remote island off the coast of Connecticut where he’s given no choice. He must rescue his brother and break his engagement to Kendra O’Connell, or they both die. After complying, Jared engages in a sword fight and believes he has vanquished his foe, but when he returns to New Orleans, he finds evil still threatens all he loves. Kendra, not knowing why Jared broke their engagement, devastated, finds solace in another’s arms. With help from an ancestor’s spirit, can Jared defeat the dark magic descending over the Big Easy while winning back the woman he loves?

Excerpt:

In the stifling heat, Angelique Montief flicked her wrist and set the bamboo ceiling fan spinning. Kneeling on a woven mat with sweat coating her body, she lifted a small wooden brass-bound casket from the bottom of a large trunk, inserted a gold key, and opened the lid. Inside two objects lay wrapped in thick cloth. She carefully unwrapped the smaller bundle to reveal a pentagonal mirror, a gift handed down to her by her grandmother, its ancient oak frame carved with tiny pentacles. She glanced over her shoulder at her locked bedroom door, then stared into the mirror and whispered, “Show him to me.”

When the glass remained blank, fear clutched at her chest. Again, she said the words, and the image of a plantation house engulfed in flames appeared. “No, please, he can’t be dead.” Tears blurred her vision. The fiery image changed to reveal a human form lying beneath flowering bougainvillea.

Hope rising, Angelique peered closer.

“Show me his face.”

She saw his indigo blue eyes blink open.

“I’m coming, my love.”

He couldn’t hear her, but she hoped in his heart that he knew she would find a way to get to him.

As the smoke in the room thickened, she knew her time was running out. She rewrapped the mirror and placed it into the smaller casket among cloth bags of herbs and potion-filled vials. Relocking the lid, she hung the key on a chain around her neck, dropped a jeweled dagger into her pocket, and tucked the casket under her arm.

Crouched beneath the smoke, she considered the quickest way to reach her son and escape.

Augustus had locked her in, placing what he thought would be an impenetrable shield across both doors. Angelique coughed, choked by the smoke. Her husband’s biggest mistake was underestimating her power.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Debby Grahl lives on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, with her husband, David. Besides writing, she enjoys biking, walking on the beach and a glass of wine at sunset. Her favorite places to visit are New Orleans, New York City, Captiva Island in Florida, the Cotswolds of England, and her home state of Michigan. She is a history buff who also enjoys reading murder mysteries, time travel, and, of course, romance. Visually impaired since childhood by Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), she uses screen-reading software to research and write her books.

Her first published book, The Silver Crescent, won the Paranormal Romance Guild Reviewers’ Choice award. Her second book, Rue Toulouse, a contemporary romance set in New Orleans, was a finalist in the National Excellence in Romantic Fiction Award and was selected as a May, 2016, ‘local read’ by Hilton Head Monthly.

Decorated to Death is a holiday mystery cozy. She also has stories in three anthologies, The Haunted West, Never Fear/Christmas Terrors; and Ebb and Flow from the local Island Writers’ Network.

Debby was featured in the January, 2016, Hilton Head Monthly article ‘Intriguing People of the Lowcountry’. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Florida Romance Writers, and First Coast Romance Writers.

Her latest book, His Magic Touch, was released December 5, 2018, by Wild Rose Press.

 

Amazon / Kindle Author Page

https://www.amazon.com/Debby-Grahl/e/B00B34HM26/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1539281994&sr=8-1

Barnes and Noble / Nook

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/debby+grahl?_requestid=8071309

Bookbub

https://www.bookbub.com/search/authors?search=debby%20grahl

Kobo

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/his-magic-touch-5

author website

www.debbygrahl.com

author Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/debbygrahlauthor?ref=br_rs

https://twitter.com/DebbyGrahl

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6862089.Debby_Grahl

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May 27, 2019 · 5:37 am

Author Interview with Kayden Clarement & New Release: She Came First

I am happy to welcome author friend Kayden Claremont to my blog…

Kayden, please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets?

Hi everyone. I’m Kayden Claremont and I’m married to my high-school sweetheart. I have two married kids, love their spouses, so I usually tell everyone I have four kids and one grandson. I live in the greater Toronto area in Ontario, Canada. I’ve always lived in Ontario, but have traveled all over the US.

Right now, I’m between pets, but I usually have a dog and a cat, who I spoil rotten. From time to time I have my grand dog for a week. He helps me write by throwing his toys on my lap. I’ve shared he’s my employee of the week on several occasions.

Where did you get the idea for SHE CAME FIRST?

My Daughter bought the family tickets to the Charlotte Speedway. I love watching car races on the TV but this was the first time I’d been to a track. We had such a wonderful time checking everything out. Then we did the tour and I was amazed there were three types of tracks in one complex.

We all climbed into van and a woman climbed into the driver’s seat. She told us she’d come with the dirt then she drove us on the track. She’d driven a pace car, so she put her foot on the gas. I’m never had such a great time. I could imagine what it would be like in a car racing around the track and the idea for SHE CAME FIRST came to me.

Was there anything unusual, any anecdote about this book, the characters, title, process, etc, you’d like to share?

I wanted to make the heroine a blue-collar person, so she became a mechanic. I had so much fun letting this woman dressed in coveralls reveal her sexy wild side when she has a second chance for love.

Do you collect anything?

I collect beads. Lots and lots of them. I love making jewelry. I don’t sell it, but I love to have a new necklace or earrings to wear. When I go to the bead shops in Toronto, I spend hours picking out each item. I have more beads than I’ll ever make into jewelry but that’s the fun.

What’s the main thing that you could get rid of in your life that would give you more writing time?

I know most people expect me to say ‘my husband’ (grins) but he teaches at college and is busy. But I should get rid of my TV. I watch way too much, but I tell myself I’m watching story, so I’m doing research. Now if only I could say that with a straight face. I can watch the same movies over and over again, so I really should restrict myself to only watching them five times each.

What do you want readers to come away with after they read SHE CAME FIRST?

I want them to believe in love. I want them to experience falling with love with the hero and living a happy for now ending. Isn’t that why we all read romance?

Would you rather have a bad review or no review?

What I want is an honest review. If you loved the characters and their story, terrific. If you couldn’t relate to either the characters or their situation, terrific. I know not everyone will love each story I write and I will respect their honest opinion.

Have you written any other books that are not published?

Ha ha ha. I think most authors will say tones of them. Not all ideas will work up into a book. Sometimes a piece of an old manuscript will be a catalyst for a new manuscript, but the story goes in a different direction.

What do your friends and family think of your writing?

My friends think I can write a first draft worthy of publication, but this isn’t true. I struggle to the best story I can written for the readers. Believe it or not, sometimes the characters don’t like my ideas an won’t do what I think they should. (grins) This causes me to go through several drafts before I should the manuscript to my critique partners. Then I go through it a few more times before I send it to my editor. I love her and we go through the manuscript one more time. When I tell people this is my process they are amazed and shocked that writing isn’t as easy as reading is.

How did you come up with the title?

SHE CAME FIRST was an easy title to come up with. The story is about racing cars and is an erotic romance. Easy peasy.

Your favorite…

Music – smooth jazz for writing. If there are lyrics I tend to them as a sing along. I also listen to country, and pop when I’m not writing.

Place you’ve visited – Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories, Canada.

Place you’d like to visit- Hawaii is the top of my bucket list.

TV show from adulthood – there are too many to list. I really do have to cut back on my TV time.

Food – chocolate anything.

Which do you prefer: Board games/card games or television? Board games.

 

Thank you, I enjoyed getting to know you better. Now, please tell us about your book!

Blurb: As head mechanic for her family’s stock car team, Tracy Hyland is making sure her car is ready for tomorrow’s race. If the car comes in first, she can claim her rightful place in the business. She can’t afford distractions, especially an ex high school sweetheart, one who broke her heart but still makes her engine purr.

Racecar driver Delaney P. Jones comes home to drive the Hyland’s car and to win back the girl he left behind. To break the iciness between them, he tempts his sexy mechanic into a smoldering dance of passion. His ultimate goal might prove more difficult—getting her across a private finish line.

Excerpt: Tracy Hyland slipped into the garage of the family motorsport business and smiled as she glanced at her 1989 Camaro. Her baby’s new blue and white paint glistened in the overhead light. Tomorrow was the car’s first race. Her hopes of standing in the number one spot on the podium depended on their performance.

She walked to the radio and cranked her music. Music and racing—pure heaven.

While the male mechanics would be at their favorite watering hole, hoping to hook up with pit bunnies for a night, she planned a quiet evening ensuring her car was tuned perfectly. Who was she kidding? She was just tinkering. Better here alone than in a noisy bar with strangers.

Tracy had become the head mechanic only after her dad died in a fiery crash. Women belonged in the office, not the track, or so he thought. She should go home and get a good night’s sleep—alone. She liked a good fuck. Actually, a great night in the sack helped her relax before a race, but she’d make do with a hot shower and Dilly the dildo to relieve her tension. What more could she want?

Tracy let the music take hold of her and boogied toward the car, twirling around and shimmying her breasts.

The side door opened, and she froze mid-step and turned.

Delaney P. Jones leaned against the jamb, filling the doorway. Her pulse quickened at the sight of her high school sweetheart.

Buy links:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Uk92YM

B&N, https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1131094833?ean=2940161234532

Bookstrand: https://www.bookstrand.com/she-came-first

 

Kayden Claremont’s Bio

Kayden’s sensuous writing style drives the characters in lustful romps. She loves reading stories of lust and love.  When she is not crafting erotic romantic stories, she loves to make jewelry and travel.

Kayden is a member of Romance Writers of America, Toronto Romance Writers, and Sisters in Crime.

She hopes you enjoy her other books, Hell’s Bounty, Heaven’s Watcher, Timeless Passion, Red Hot, and Tartan Temptation, all published by The Wild Rose Press.

Author Media Links:

Website: www.KaydenClaremont.com

Blog: https://kaydenclaremont.wordpress.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kayden.claremont/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kaydenclaremont

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/9136748.Kayden_Claremont

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/search?search=Kayden+Claremont

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyTlCs84dLR5D3MJw25yrBQ

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Kayden-Claremont/e/B015BMVN4I

 

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February 12, 2019 · 9:55 am

Author Interview with J.A. Kazimer / New Release ~ Cuffed: A Detective Goldilocks Mystery

Please help me welcome today’s guest, J.A. Kazimer…

Good morning, J.A. So happy to have you as my guest today. Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets?

Thank you, Alicia. So excited to be here.

I’m originally from Cleveland, Ohio (home of the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame and the only river that’s ever caught on fire, more than once). I moved to Denver, CO so many years ago that I feel like a native. My family consists of a 14-year-old Weimaraner, a 7-year-old (thirty pound) Chihuahua, and a 6-month-old Minnie mutt. In case it’s not obvious, I am that friend on Facebook. The one who drives you nuts with puppy pictures. You’re welcome.

Was there anything unusual, any anecdote about this book, the characters, title, process, etc, you’d like to share?

I’m a sucker for twisting the typical version of a fairytale characters. In this case, I focused my attention on Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

I asked myself, what would have happened if the last line in the fairytale (And she never returned to the home of the three bears), didn’t exist? How would that have changed it? Would the bears, acting as talking bears often do, have called the cops?

I also needed to know why one bowl of porridge too hot and the other too cold? Furthermore, what bear in its right mind would leave a perfectly good porridge sitting out for an interloping blond to eat?

As you can obviously see, this brought me to a grownup Goldie Locks and her adoptive bear family. She now a homicide detective happily dating the fairest man in all the land, until the one man who jumped over a candlestick and out of her life years before returns to win her back. Or to commit murder. I always forget which.

What book have you read that you wish you had written?

Anything by Susan Elizabeth Phillips or Julie Garwood’s historical romances. I love any romance with wit, and humor.

Do you have another occupation, other than writer? If so, what is it and do you like it?

I used to work as a private investigator. It was both fun and humanity destroying. I since moved on to working at a university, which, oddly enough, is also fun and humanity destroying. Kids today…Get off my lawn…

What was your first job?

When a person goes to jail, they can buy things from the commissary. I was the 15-year-old kid filling those orders. It was much like being a file clerk. Good thing I was young and dumb enough not to realize that I don’t like to file.

What do you want readers to come away with after they read [your book]?

Honestly, I want readers to live happily ever after. If my novel makes someone happy, even if just until they finish it, then my role as an author is complete.

Would you rather have a bad review or no review?

I’m the author of over 15 books. Some received plenty of reviews. Others very few. Some bad. Most good. I can firmly attest to the fact that getting any review beats not getting one. Silence is far from golden for authors.

What is your favorite quote?

“The world is a stage and the play is badly cast.”
– Oscar Wilde 

What do you want your tombstone to say?

Roses are red,

I’m pretty sure I’m dead.

But would you mind checking?

How did your interest in writing originate?

I loved books since I picked up my very first Johanna Lindsey novel. I believe it was Heart’s Aflame. But being a writer? That was madness. I could barely spell.

Then one day a character’s voice came into my head.

So I had two choices. Either become a writer or face the possibility that I was crazy. Writer seemed easier, and included less electrical shock therapy.

 

Now, I’d like to turn the tables. What is your favorite fairytale? And why?

Hahaha, loved the interview, J.A. You’re so funny! Your book sounds fantastic. As for my answer to the question, I think mine might be Little Red Riding Hood because it has a creepier vibe than many of the others.

 

Detective Goldie Locks isn’t looking for just the right bed. Or any bed for that matter.

She’s on the hunt for a killer.

When she discovers the fingerprints of a once-upon-a-time lover, a man who jumped over a candlestick and out a window to leave her facing some serious trespassing trouble alone, at a crime scene, she vows to see him in handcuffs.

Jack B. Nimble has other ideas.

He threatens her adoptive family if Goldie doesn’t help him clear his villainous name, much to the chagrin of her current boyfriend and quite possibly the next mayor, Beau White, the fairest man in all the land.

Trying to prove his innocence turns out to be harder than she expected, especially when Jack refuses to aid in his defense, and instead, starts a campaign to ‘win’ her back. Goldie might be a blond, but she’s far from dumb enough to fall for his charms a second time.

Or so she tells herself every time his lips meet hers.

The deeper she plows into the rabbit hole and Jack’s soul, the more she learns about his motives for returning to the city—Destroying her perfectly crafted life.

Excerpt –

Chapter 1

“My, my, what big…,” my eyes slowly slid from his mouth downward, taking in every inch of his bulging physique, finally settling on his very large and furry fingers, “…hands you have.”

His lips curled into a lecherous grin as he lifted the chains around his wrists. “The better to…” He waggled his eyebrows.

I tilted my head, letting my hair brush my shoulders. “To what? Kill innocent women wearing red hoods?” Pushing from the hard metal chair, I rose to my full five-feet, eight-inch height to stare down at the guy accused of stalking and murdering a young woman who went missing on her way to her grandmother’s house. The brutality of the crime sharpened my tone. “We’ve got your DNA all over her goodies.”

He huffed in a harsh breath, a telling reaction.

I smiled. We had the right guy. Now I just needed to break him.

The best part of my job.

I drew in a breath, ready to pluck the truth from him like a plum from a pie. The interview room door opened halting my interrogation. Irritation churned inside me, but I suppressed it, barely, as Captain Jingleheimer Schmidt stuck his head through the doorway. “Detective Locks,” he said in a whey-soaked voice. “A word.”

I glowered at the big, bad-smelling wolf, following my captain out of the institutional grey-colored room. He crossed the bullpen bursting with villains and cops, heading to his office on the other side of the New Never City police station. An office as crammed with files and arrest reports as deep, and smelling just as bad, as an old lady and all of her numerous offspring who lived in a shoe.

Motioning for me to sit on the worn chair the captain dropped into his own seat behind a wobbly desk, clasping his fingers in front of him. I wrinkled my nose at the stench wafting around me, and then sat. Like a lady, and not of the night variety, I crossed my legs, waiting. Captain Jingleheimer Schmidt was a man of few words and most of those started with the letter F. I doubted the conversation would take long.

“Goldie,” he began.

My back arched at the use of my given name. Whatever he was about to say wasn’t good, likely for me. In fact, the last time the captain had called me Goldie I’d ended up losing my back right molar to a delusional fairy. The two dollars and seventy cents left under my pillow was of little consolation. I took a calming breath, waiting for the other glass slipper to drop.

 

Bio –

J.A. (Julie) Kazimer lives in Denver, CO. When she isn’t looking for a place to hide the bodies, she devotes her time to playing with a pup named Killer. Other hobbies include murdering houseplants. She spent a few years stalking people while working as a private investigator before transitioning to the moniker of WRITER and penning over 15 titles. Visit her website at jakazimer.com and sign up for her THIS LITTLE PIGGY WENT TO MURDER Readers’ Group.

 

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August 10, 2018 · 8:10 am

Author Interview with Rachel Brimble & New Release: The Mistress of Pennington’s

I am so happy to introduce today’s guest. I’ve worked with Rachel Brimble at The Wild Rose Press on a few books, and she was one of my early authors when the company first opened. I love her writing…and she’s a wonderful person! 

Welcome, Rachel. Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets?

Hi, it’s so great to be here! I have been happily married to my husband (Mr B) for twenty years and we live near the famous city of Bath, England along with our two teenage daughters and mad chocolate Labrador, Tyler.

When I’m not writing, I like to read, knit, walk the beautiful English countryside and watch far too much TV.

Where did you get the idea for The Mistress Of Pennington’s?

I absolutely loved the TV series Mr Selfridge and The Paradise, but as I was watching something was always missing for me. I came to realise that I wanted more depth to the struggles women were facing during the Edwardian era. All too soon I concluded that I would write a series books with ‘female empowerment’ as the theme. Thankfully, my editor at Aria Fiction loved this book enough to offer me a four-book contract.

The Mistress of Pennington’s covers the issue of women in business, book 2 (coming early 2019) will cover women’s suffrage. I’m so excited!

 Why did you choose this genre (is it something you’ve written in before)?

I’ve previously written historical romance set in the Victorian period and was ready to learn, research and write about a different era. The Edwardian period was a time of huge change for women and I couldn’t wait to start my research. When these books are done, I am very tempted to start exploring the Georgian period.

What is the most difficult thing about writing a book?

For me, the most difficult thing is the plotting – it’s all very well to come up with a great book idea, but is it strong enough to stretch to 90,000 words? I usually struggle around the 40,000 word mark but heed my own advice and write through it. A first draft can be edited, a blank page…not so much!

What book have you read that you wish you had written?

Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell or The Outlander series by Diana Galbaldon – I love to think that one day I’ll write a huge epic of a book or series. To have so much space to really explore issues of the time as well as digging deep into lead and secondary characters appeals to me on every level.

What’s the main thing that you could get rid of in your life that would give you more writing time?

Housework! I am a terrible housekeeper and would rather write, knit or watch TV than tackle dusting, vacuuming and cleaning bathrooms, lol! The only household chore I enjoy is ironing…and that’s because I can watch TV while doing it. Apparently, I’m exactly like my paternal grandmother – much to the amusement of my extended family 🙂

What do you want readers to come away with after they read The Mistress of Pennington’s?

To feel inspired, transported back in time and looking forward to book 2! The ultimate aim of this series is to remind us all how much women have struggled for the freedoms that we have today and how they manage to find love and have families along the way. The Mistress of Pennington’s is a book of hope, love and never giving up.

What actors would you like in the main roles if your book were made into a movie?

This is an easy question for me as I’m a very visual writer and start each book trawling the internet for pictures of my hero, heroine and villain (if I have one). So, for The Mistress of Pennington’s, I would love Niamh Walsh to play Elizabeth Pennington and Josh Lucas to play Joseph Carter.

What genre have you never written that you’d like to write?

I love reading crime fiction so would definitely like to try to write the genre at some point in the future. I think I’d probably go historical and set it in the Georgian or Victorian period, both for atmosphere and the fact they didn’t have as much complicated forensic procedures back then!

What is your favorite quote?

Set it up the way you want it to be – Iyanla Vanzant

What do you want your tombstone to say?

She came, she loved, she laughed and wrote a few books along the way…

What do your friends and family think of your writing?

They are all very supportive and respect that writing is my passion and always will be – a few of them are amazed I’ve written 23 books to date and have written around my children since they were 4 & 6 years old. Suffice to say, my writing time is a lot more my own now they are almost 19 & 17!

Your favorite…

Movie – Notting Hill

Music – Bruno Mars or a LOT of 80s music

Place you’ve visited – So many, but most recently Bruges

Place you’d like to visit – The Caribbean

TV show from childhood – Grange Hill

TV show from adulthood – Downton Abbey

Food – Scallops

Which do you prefer: Board games/card games or television? TV…closely followed by board games!

The Mistress of Pennington’s is available to buy now!  

1910 – A compelling tale of female empowerment in Bath’s leading department store. Perfect for the fans of the TV series Mr Selfridge and The Paradise.

Elizabeth Pennington should be the rightful heir of Bath’s premier department store through her enterprising schemes and dogged hard work. Her father, Edward Pennington, believes his daughter lacks the business acumen to run his empire and is resolute a man will succeed him.

Determined to break from her father’s iron-clad hold and prove she is worthy of inheriting the store, Elizabeth forms an unlikely alliance with ambitious and charismatic master glove-maker Joseph Carter. United they forge forward to bring Pennington’s into a new decade, embracing woman’s equality and progression whilst trying not to mix business and pleasure.

Can this dream team thwart Edward Pennington’s plans for the store? Or will Edward prove himself an unshakeable force who will ultimately ruin both Elizabeth and Joseph?

 

Buy Links:

Amazon UK: http://amzn.eu/2SvRcqp

Amazon US: http://a.co/3OFh9JK

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-mistress-of-penningtons-rachel-brimble/1128920728?ean=9781788546508

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/the-mistress-of-pennington-s

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Rachel_Brimble_The_Mistress_of_Pennington_s?id=dIFSDwAAQBAJ

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-mistress-of-penningtons/id1362129705?mt=11

Bio:

Rachel has had several novels published by small US presses, eight books published by Harlequin Superromance (Templeton Cove Stories) and four Victorian romances with eKensington/Lyrical.

In January 2018, she signed a four-book deal with Aria Fiction for a brand new Edwardian series set in Bath’s finest department store. The first book, The Mistress of Pennington’s released July 2018.

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America and was selected to mentor the Superromance finalist of So You Think You Can Write 2014 contest. When she isn’t writing, you’ll find Rachel with her head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with her family. Her dream place to live is Bourton-on-the-Water in South West England.

She likes nothing more than connecting and chatting with her readers and fellow romance writers. Rachel would love to hear from you!

Links:

Website

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

Facebook Street Team – Rachel’s Readers

Amazon Author Page:

https://www.amazon.com/Rachel-Brimble/e/B007829ZRM/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1490948101&sr=8-1

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1806411.Rachel_Brimble

Bookbub:

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/rachel-brimble

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May 13, 2017 · 8:32 am

Author Interview with Maxine Douglas ~ New Release: The Reluctant Bride

Please help me welcome fellow OKRWA author, Maxine Douglas with an interview and her latest release!

 

Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets?

I am originally from Wisconsin (born and bred) where the UW-Wisconsin Badgers reside. Go Bucky! And home of the Green Bay Packers, yes that makes me a cheese head. LOL My husband and I know live in a small city southwest of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. We traded 6 months of winter for a few weeks, and have enjoyed being here. My oldest son lives in the same city we do with his family, and our three other grown children live in Wisconsin.  We have two grand-daughters: one is a senior at UW-Whitewater majoring in Marketing and the youngest will turn 10 this summer. We currently have two horses and one dog.

Where did you get the idea for The Brides Along the Chisholm Trail series?

I was asked by Callie Hutton if I was interested in joining a western historical boxset. Of course I said, than immediately went into panic mode when I learned I had to have it done by September, and it was June. I was in the midst of my first mystery and needed to finish it before delving into a new genre…again. But I finished Simply to Die For (sold it to MuseItUp Publishing), and finished The Reluctant Bride for the Wanted: One Bride boxset on time.

Why did you choose this genre (is it something you’ve written in before)?

I’d not written western historical before even though I do have three historical time-travels published.

Was there anything unusual, any anecdote about this book, the characters, title, process, etc, you’d like to share?

The idea for The Brides Along the Chisholm Trail series actually came from the director of our local Chamber of Commerce. He approached me at a three-day event last October and said he had a great story idea for me. I mulled it over and came up with three book ideas. I’d already had The Reluctant Bride set in Dodge City, The Marshal’s Bride takes place in Fred, Indian Territory which was about 7 miles southeast of Chickasha and is now available, The Cattlemen’s Bride takes place in Texas and will be available late summer.

What is the most difficult thing about writing a book?

If you are writing a historical you want to make sure you have even the small things right, and that you don’t bore your reader with too many facts.

What was the most difficult thing about this one in particular?

The research for Fred since it is so close to where I live. I spent several hours at the Grady County Historical Museum where Patricia Cunningham was a great help.

Are there any tricks, habits or superstitions you have when creating a story?

Even though I have a home office I do like to go to one of the following places once in a while: the library, McDonalds, a park, or on my back patio. I also will watch/listen to movies in the genre that I’m writing to keep me on track and my mind set in the right place. I have found that if family is around I can’t write. I think it’s because in the back of my mind I know that they’ll talk to me, whereas in a public place the chance of that happening is very slim.

What book have you read that you wish you had written?

Oh my, there are so many. Some of my favorites are The Kent Family Chronicles by John Jakes, Outlander, Game of Thrones, anything Heather Graham writes…need I go on? LOL

Do you collect anything?

Like most authors I collect books. At one time I had an extensive collection but have since pared it down to only the books I really want to keep in print. I’ve been picking up the old Nancy Drew books as I find them as they were my favorites when I was in grade school. I also will pick up any horse story books I find because I love horses (what girl doesn’t?). Plus I do have a collection of S&P that was started by my maternal grandmother.

What was your first job?

Babysitting. But my first actual paycheck was from a department store called Prange’s. I remember when it opened in the East Towne Mall in Madison back in the 1970s, it was amazing.

What do you want readers to come away with after they read The Brides of the Chisholm Trail?

A sense that they read a good story, that they lived the lives of my heroes and heroines.

What is your favorite quote?

I find a new quote each month for my newsletter, but I think this is one by Ernest Hemingway is one of my favorites: “There is no friend as loyal as a book.”

If you were stranded on a deserted island and you could have 3 (inanimate) objects, what would they be?

Hmm, let’s see–books, my laptop, my phone.

What celebrity would you most like to be stranded on an island with?

This is going to sound strange but Drew Cary – he’s so funny and seems down to earth. If he wasn’t available, then I’d go with Kevin Costner.

Your most prized material possession? Why?

My wedding rings because I didn’t get married for the first time until I was 46 years old. A high school friend and I reconnected in January of 2001 and in August of that same year we said “I do.” Ladies, it was definitely worth the wait! *wink*

What do you want your tombstone to say?

Loving wife, mother, grandmother, friend, romance author. Spark your imagination, read a book.

Have you written any other books that are not published?

Yes! I have an erotica that I just can’t seem to finish. Plus, I have a number that have a paragraph or two written as a reminder of what the story is about. I keep a spreadsheet where I have titles, character names/descriptions, and blurbs all waiting to come to life for my readers.

Who is the most famous person you have ever met?

There have been a few. When I lived in Nashville I became good friends with Charlie Dick (Patsy Cline’s husband), I dated James Monroe (Bill Monroe’s son) for a while, and I had the privilege of having a good chat with Heather Graham and Jodi Thomas a few years ago.

Your favorite…

Movie  White Christmas

Music County

Place you’ve visited Galveston, TX

Place you’d like to visit England

TV show from childhood Zorro

TV show from adulthood Outlander

Food Seafood

Sports team Green Bay Packers / UW-Wisconsin Badgers

Thank you so much, Maxine! I enjoyed getting to know you better. ha, I will have to say I find Drew Cary an odd choice. 😀

Readers, check out her latest release:

 

 

Find Maxine here:

Goodreads / Author Blog / Newsletter / Facebook / Twitter / Mailing List Signup

 

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