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JL Wilson
jayellwilson.com
Your Saving Grace
What is YOUR SAVING GRACE about?
It’s about the past and how it can come back to haunt us, through no fault of our own. The heroine, Hannah Paxton (known to her old friends as Grace), witnessed a brutal murder when she was a teenager. Now, 30 years later, the fact that she testified at that trial raises a stir when she serves on a jury in the present day. YOUR SAVING GRACE is also about our own ideas about who we are and what is important in our lives. Detective Jude Brenner, the hero, was injured in the line of duty as a police officer. Now the one thing he’s always counted on—his job—is in danger of being taken away from him. He sees his assignment to protect Hannah as a chance to get back to full time work and prove himself to his superiors.
What inspired you to write it?
When I was 18 years old, I saw someone attacked, just like the first scene in Grace. I was standing about two feet away and yes, I did get splattered with all sorts of bodily unmentionables. I didn’t have to testify, but I’ve never forgotten that incident. I was standing in a crowded, noisy bar and all of a sudden, it was so quiet. I looked down and saw that poor man on the floor and the other guy, standing over him. The friend I was with hustled me out of there, but I was trembling so bad I could barely walk. It was one of the most shocking things I’ve ever seen. When I started to work on romantic suspense novels, I thought, “Hmm, what would have happened if there were reverberations from that attack, witnessed years and years ago?” The story grew from there.
What do you think readers will enjoy most about the book?
Hannah and Jude are like anyone you might meet. They’re two people who have made good lives for themselves as single people, and they’re going into their 50s comfortable with that. When adventure and love intrude on their lives they have to figure out how to handle it. Both are out of the habit of love and loving and have to decide if they want another person in their lives.
Making room for love—choosing love—is a deliberate decision that we have to make. Jude isn’t sure he’s capable of loving Hannah the way she needs to be loved. He’s bitter about being forced into retirement and out of the career he’s given his life to. For Hannah’s part, she’s not sure she wants someone in her life. Plus her upbeat, positive outlook about life is constantly butting up against Jude’s harsher, more pragmatic nature.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Ha! What spare time? I work a 40-hour-a-week (plus) job, I’m an officer in my local RWA chapter (and produce a monthly newsletter for them), I do my own newsletter, I write. BUT, when I get free time and when the seasons cooperate, I love to garden. Because I live in the northern U.S., I’m limited in how much time I can garden and what I can grow, so I make the most of it. I live in a very rural setting so I have a lot of backyard visitors, including deer, possums, raccoons, beaver, groundhogs, bunches of gutsy squirrels, and an assortment of eagles and other raptors. Getting anything to grow without being nibbled to death is a real challenge. Thank goodness for those five-pound tubs of cayenne pepper I get at the warehouse club.
What’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever done?
That’s a hard one. I was an exchange student in the Netherlands when I was 16, and that was a blast. I talked to Kurt Vonnegut a couple of times and got drunk once with Jerzy Kosinski (a very sad man). But I’ve have to say the most interesting thing is what I’m doing now—trying to launch a career in publishing. It’s an odd and interesting journey. I’m learning new things all the time, about writing, editing, promotion, and publishing. It’s both frustrating and fascinating.
Who’s the most dashing man who ever lived?
Well, I’d have to say Cary Grant. He has the right combination of dash and humor and he pulls it off without seeming smarmy. When I was younger, my sister and I created a deck of cards of the greatest actors ever, and Cary was the Ace of Hearts. He still is, as far as I’m concerned.
Whom do you admire most and why?
I have several women friends whom I admire. Each has qualities I wish I possessed. One is very fair minded and gives everyone the benefit of the doubt. Another juggles home and family with a cheerful, common-sense philosophy I admire. Another is a breast cancer survivor whose humor during her treatment was a real inspiration. Another is a heart attack survivor who has a calm, straightforward approach to life. Another is very centered and focused, regardless of what goes on around her. I try to learn from all of them.
Tell us about your first love.
My first real crush, where I had to fight my parents to date him, was on a Bad Boy in high school. He was a bit wild, but he treated me with a great deal of respect and honesty. It was probably the first time I dated someone who truly appreciated my intelligence and my feelings.
If you could have a magical power, what would it be?
I’d like to be a shapeshifter and slip into the body of an animal for brief periods. I like the idea so much, in fact, that it shows up in my upcoming books (a paranormal series I’m doing for Cerridwen about love, reincarnation, and making amends for past wrongs). I think it would be great to really know what it feels like to be a dog, or a horse, or a cat—or a mouse in the corner. Think of all the eavesdropping you could do! And think of flying away, an eagle or a hawk, and looking down at the world below you. Yep. A shapeshifter. That’s what I’d be.
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Kennedy Vance
Eye Witness
Tell us about your most romantic fantasy. If you could have a 24-hour romantic fling with anyone you wanted, anywhere you wanted, where would you go, what would you do and with whom would you do it?
Since my husband is the sexiest, most romantic man on the planet, my fling would be with him. Nothing in my imagination could rival the reality of our honeymoon in Jamaica, so I would choose to go there again. As we did before, we would go diving, both beneath the clear blue ocean and off sky-high rocky cliffs, lazily sunbathe on the beach, talking about our future together and, of course, make earth-shaking love whenever and wherever we were alone.
Tell us about EYE WITNESS and what you hope readers will enjoy about it.
EYE WITNESS takes the reader from the darkest corners of a killer’s mind, through the twists and turns of sexual perversion, to the desperate measures of a good man haunted by the past and an ambitious woman seeking revenge. When the two innocents in the game stop trying to use each other to achieve their goals and start working together, their mission to stop a killer is empowered by the searing flames of mutual desire.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
I am a major movie and television fan and enjoy nothing more than vegging out in front of the TV when I get a free hour or so to unwind. When time off from writing permits, I head straight for the nearest amusement park and take on the wildest rides there.
What do you like about where you live?
The area has an enormous range of sites of interest from historical to scientific to cultural, amusement parks, unique shopping malls and natural beauty from beaches to desert to mountains. Most important of all, however, I am surrounded by friends and family.
If you could have one special super or magical power, what would it be?
It was hard to choose, but it would have to be time travel.
What’s your favorite smell?
No hesitation here. Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate!!! The most intoxicating smell I ever experienced was when standing in the middle of Hershey, Pennsylvania, completely enveloped by the smell of warm chocolate coming from the candy factory.
What’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever done?
I’ve jumped out of an airplane at 14,000 feet and sped around the Indy 500 in Richard Petty’s #43 car, but the one thing I did that I would tell everyone else to do is drive through the entire United States.
What else would you like readers to know about you or your work?
I am fascinated by motivation. What makes someone lie, steal, commit murder, trust a stranger, fall in love or follow a particular career or life path? I’ve drawn conclusions about such motivations from my own life as well as the avid observation of others. When I write a story, I combine those conclusions with the grounded knowledge gleaned from considerable experience with law enforcement personnel and members of the legal profession.
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Flo Fitzpatrick
flofitzpatrick.com
Haunting Melody
Tell us about your most romantic fantasy. If you could have a 24-hour romantic fling with anyone you wanted, anywhere you wanted, where would you go, what would you do and with whom would you do it?
Any other time I’d probably answer with a nice “Paris in autumn with Hugh Jackman or Johnny Depp” scenario, but I’ve just moved for the fourth time in two years and right now the most exciting fantasy would be for the entire cast of Pirates of the Caribbean 3 to march into my apartment, paint it, assemble furniture that needs assembling—and occasionally check to see if my margarita pitcher needs refilling. Oh, the cast would be SHIRTLESS—except for Keira Knightley!
Tell us about your upcoming release and what you hope readers will enjoy about it.
HAUNTING MELODY is a time-travel romance that sends the heroine back to an “unusual” era—1919 in New York at the peak of the Ziegfeld Follies reign over Broadway. I’d love to know that readers laugh with one of my secondary characters, an enigmatic little Elvis devotee named Fiona Belle Donovan Winthorp (“Don’t call me Mrs. Winthorp—I hated that man.”) and get a kick out of the humor of the “Burn down the Whorehouse” chapter.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
Love to go to shows. Love to read. Love to watch movies. Love to eat. (sigh)
What do you like about where you live?
I just moved back to New York City and I’m about a half a block from a huge park. Take one path and you’re at a pond complete with swans. Another path leads upward into a “forest.” My dogs are thrilled! And I’m thrilled to be able to hit the park in the morning—but know I can head to midtown and see a Broadway show that night.
If you could have one special super or magical power, what would it be?
If I were really nice I’d say “wave a wand and achieve world peace.” Or be courageous and go for the ability to time travel. But—let’s face it—as a selfish person I’d love to also wave that wand and poof! be the weight I was at age 20! (Ideally, the wand could manage all of the above. Maybe I could be a genie and give myself wishes?)
What’s your favorite smell?
Tex-Mex cooking.
What makes a man attractive to you?
Sense of humor. Honesty. Unconditional generosity.
What’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever done?
That’s tricky, since what’s interesting to me might not be that much of a thrill for someone else. The “moment I could have died and gone to heaven” for example, came when I took a dance class years ago and Gwen Verdon (who’d been my idol growing up) came up to me and asked for help with the dance combination. She was a truly lovely, sweet lady and it was so neat to meet her and know I’d picked the right person to emulate! Dumbest thing—but interesting—was to hop into a rental truck the first week of June (having never driven one) and head off with a load of furniture half-way across country. (I have stories of the “road trip.” I’m saving them for another book.)
What else would you like readers to know about you or your work?
I find one of the questions I get asked most as a writer is “do you outline”? And, although my dad, a law professor who wrote a legal textbook, tried for years to get me to write detailed outlines, sadly, it just isn’t me. I’m seat of the pants all the way. And I write in chunks. I’ll sit down and do six chapters in a day, then not write anything for weeks (unless I have a deadline.) And I usually write more than one book at the same time (again, unless on deadline.)
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Hetty St. James
Bertie's Golden Treasure
Tell us about your most romantic fantasy.
To spend a day—or a week—with my love on a secluded island under balmy blue skies with fleecy white clouds overhead all day. The only sounds one hears are the birds or the wind soughing through the trees and the waters of the lake softly lapping the shore. Plus the laughter of the two of us as we share the joy of the enchanted island, and each other.
Tell us about BERTIE’S GOLDEN TREASURE and what you hope readers will enjoy about it.
I hope people find the comedy in the story. That was the major object when I was writing it—to make people smile and laugh. I think the characters are rather universal types; we all have our own insecurities, not knowing exactly what we want, even when our greatest wish walks up and parks right in front of us, just waiting to be discovered.
What’s your writing space like?
It’s the largest room in my house, because I spend more time here than anywhere else. The computer, both printers, the fax and the ever-present stereo are all here, along with shelves of books and boxes of research papers, and supplies of all kinds. Writers generate paper like crazy, so one always needs a good supply of colors and styles and weights, etc. And pens and pencils. And envelopes and stamps and a postage scale, and the telephone! Hopefully, there is a window to gaze through if one is searching for a word.
What do you like about where you live?
I live about midway between the symphony concert hall and a major theater, so I can walk just about everywhere I want to go, except of course for major grocery or other shopping. I can walk to the post office or the library rather easily, but sometimes just walk around the block to mail a letter or two.
If you could have one special super or magical power, what would it be?
To convince people that the Supreme Being, by whatever name you call him (or her) does not like war, and we should stop fighting each other because we think our God is better (or greedier) than someone else’s God.
What is your favorite smell?
Freshly cut hay, when you’re out on the wagon bringing it in to the barn behind a team of horses! Pure magic.
What else would you like readers to know about you or your work?
There is no better occupation in the world than being creative—whether you create words or music (or both) or visual art of whatever kind. Adding a touch of beauty to the world—or being able to appreciate that of others—is an incomparable joy.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
Full-time writers are always working! On something. If we’re not writing, we’re certainly thinking!
What makes a man attractive to you?
I’m very partial to musicians, especially one who is a bit taller than I am. He’ll have me the first time I hear him giggle, and he should be as comfortable in a tux as he is a bathing suit. Of course, he’ll be literate and witty and think I’m a marvelous writer!
What’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever done?
I’m not so sure about interesting but challenging? High on the list would be the day I took the tram from my cousin’s apartment in Munich to the main train station, and then took myself off to Salzburg and back again on the same day. At the time, I spoke only about six words of German, but I really had a marvelous time all by myself!
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Patt Mihailoff
Ring Dancer's Destiny
Tell us about your most romantic fantasy. If you could have a 24-hour romantic fling with anyone you wanted, anywhere you wanted, where would you go, what would you do and with whom would you do it?
Well if I weren’t married, my 24-hour romantic fantasy would be in a fantasy world of my own creation with Jason Mamoa, in full Stargate-Atlantis get-up, Dreads and all, on a deserted Hawaii-like setting (he’s from there) with just the two of us. I’d be wearing something long, diaphanous and flowing. He’d be wearing a lei. We’d preface our affaire d’amour with something along the food scene in 91/2 weeks, ending of course in a full blown out loving hard-and-long escapade that would make him never forget…me.
Tell us about RING DANCER’S DESTINY and what you hope readers will enjoy about it.
With Scotland and England at odds with each other, King Leodegrance has enlisted a Highland Laird to assist him in rescuing his five-year-old daughter Guinevere from a sorceress who conspires to place another puppet queen in her stead when she is of age.
I am hoping that the readers will appreciate that the story is not so much about King Arthur and Guinevere as it is about the Highland Laird with a dark secret, and the woman who is considered to be if middle years who aids him in his quest.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
I read and make afghans—lots of them, especially for older people, and for anyone else who wants one. When I am not writing my hands always have to be doing something and during American Idol, and Survivor I stitch away.
What do you like about where you live?
The peacefulness. It’s very quiet here. People have asked if there are any kids in the neighborhood and I when I say lots, they ask, “well where are they?” (I believe there is a horror story waiting to be written in there somewhere.)
If you could have one special super or magical power, what would it be?
Now you’ve done it. I’d want to power to be able to remove anything that I didn’t like or deserve to be here. (like RAP music, I hate it). Of course to keep myself in check it would have to come with a caveat, like if I use it too often or irresponsibly I’d have to forfeit a second of my life or something like that. (Isn’t imagination grand?)
What’s your favorite smell?
Apples and Cinnamon, and Lavender. My mother’s sweet potato pie.
What makes a man attractive to you?
Dark smoky eyes, half curled lip, Adrian-Paul-Highlander hair, and the fact that he won’t back down from my sometimes unusual personality.
What’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever done?
I was the first person interviewed in NYC at the premiere of STAR TREK THE MOTION PICTURE in 1979.
What else would you like readers to know about you or your work?
I will remain tireless in my efforts to bring them interesting, and entertaining reads. I appreciate their comments good or bad.
Also, that while I have had success in shorter genres elsewhere, Cerridwen Press and my very talented, patient and funny editor (frog Mama) has helped me achieve my dream.
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Christie Walker Bos
christiewalkerbos.com
The Write Man for Her
Tell us about your most romantic fantasy. If you could have a 24-hour romantic fling with anyone you wanted, anywhere you wanted, where would you go, what would you do and with whom would you do it?
I love being surprised, so my romantic fantasy would begin with a note saying, “Pack for a weekend away and don’t forget that silk nightgown of yours. Be ready by six.” The anticipation, the mystery—Where are we going? What are we going to do?—gets my juices flowing. When I walk into the bathroom there is another note on the mirror.
“Take a nice warm bath and have some wine. Relax. You have time.”
When I pull back the shower curtain that hides the tub, I find a glass of wine and a bottle of bubble bath waiting for me. I enjoy the bath and the way the warm water and cool wine make me glow inside and out. After dressing in jeans and a sexy gray sweater, I hear a knock on the door. When I open the door, it’s not who I expect. A limo driver in black jacket, pants and matching black hat is waiting to take my bag to the car. Once inside the limo, I find a bottle of champagne and another note, “Enjoy a little bubbly and a peaceful ride. I will be waiting for you where the sand meets the sea.”
Between the mellow music and the amber liquid in my glass I should be very relaxed, but the slow build-up and mystery of it all is making me restless with anticipation.
The limo pulls up in front of a pier that extends out over the pounding surf of the ocean. About twenty small beach cottages sit atop the pier, lit by the orange glow from each of their porch lamps. From out of the shadows comes a devilishly handsome man, dressed in faded blue jeans and a white button shirt open at the neck, holding a bouquet of white tulips, my favorite flowers. He opens the door to the limo and offers me his hand. He pulls me out of the car and into his arms in one fluid motion.
Our kiss is hot and passionate and I want to drag him back into the limo to continue exploring each other, but he has other plans. After grabbing my overnight bag, he slowly walks me toward the pier, his arm wrapped around my waist, tight and possessive.
As we walk onto the wooden avenue over the sea, the sound of crashing waves washing over us, becoming louder and louder the farther out we walk. With one particularly large wave, the pylons shudder and the pier moves ever so slightly making you feel like you’re on a boat. When we get to the blue door of the blue and white cottage he turns and whispers, “Happy anniversary, darling.” My husband presses me against the door and kisses me hard and passionately making me feel like a teenager saying goodnight on my parent’s front porch. Then he unlocks the door and leads me inside.
“Don’t expect to see much of the beach this weekend,” he teases before tossing my bag aside and pulling me to him once again.
I never did see the beach, but the sound of the ocean under our cottage was the soundtrack for our intimate weekend of lovemaking.
(Sure hope my husband reads this. Hint, hint!)
Tell us about THE WRITE MAN FOR HER and what you hope readers will enjoy about it.
If you read my answer to question number one, you know that I like surprises and I hope you do too, because the leading man in THE WRITE MAN FOR HER will surprise you in many ways.
The other thing I love is a good romantic comedy like, Sleepless in Seattle or Must Love Dogs or Serendipity. I want to laugh, cry and then laugh again. These are the movies and books I love to watch and read and therefore what I love to write. I promise you’ll cry a little and laugh a lot while you are reading THE WRITE MAN FOR HER.
Come meet my characters:
Account executive Jessica Anne Singer uses work to deal with the loneliness surrounding her since her divorce. Except for her squawky cockatiel Merlin, Jessica hasn’t had a date in years, but all that’s about to change. Jessica’s best friend Cath has decided that Jessica needs to meet her dreamy online professor, Brant Wilson, who inspires her in more ways than one.
Creative writing professor Brant Wilson is intrigued by one of his online students, Jessica Singer. She seems more worldly than most of his students and has a penchant for arguing with him over just about everything, which he finds oddly enjoyable. But when she asks to meet with him in person to discuss her grades, he immediately refuses. He never meets with his students face to face. Never.
Undeterred, Cath hatches a harebrained plan to find the reclusive professor. When the plan actually works, Jessica uncovers the real reason the professor doesn’t meet with his students. Stunned by her discovery, Jessica must decide if she’ll listen to her head or her heart when it comes to determining if Professor Brant Wilson is the right man for her.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
When am I not working? Yikes! When is that? Let’s see … for my day job I’m an editor/writer/photographer for the eyewear industry. I also have a small jewelry business where I create one-of-a-kind necklaces, bracelets and earrings that are displayed in a local art gallery. I volunteer for a number of non-profits putting on events and raising funds. I love to read but can’t when I’m in the middle of writing; otherwise I lose my unique voice and my characters start sounding like other author’s characters. So reading becomes a special treat, a reward for finishing a novel.
What do you like about where you live?
I live in a small mountain community in Southern California called Big Bear Lake. My home office looks out onto the sloping hillside of our backyard that is currently covered in native plants and wildflowers. Hummingbirds come up to my window to check on my progress, alerting me to their presence with the whirring sound of their wings. Surrounded by pine trees under an umbrella of blue sky, it’s my own little piece of paradise.
If you could have one special super or magical power, what would it be?
That’s easy. I would want to clone myself so I could get everything done that I need to do. I volunteer for way too much stuff. I need to learn to “Just say no!”
What’s your favorite smell?
I love the smell of freshly ground coffee, although strangely enough I don’t like how coffee tastes. I love the smell of rain hitting hot asphalt and of freshly mowed grass in the summer. I love the smell of the desert after it rains—the parched soil and sagebrush explode with an aroma that makes me want to roll around in the dirt. But my most favorite smell is how my husband smells after we make love. Yummy!
What makes a man attractive to you?
It’s nothing physical. It’s the way he looks at me. If I’m the center of his universe, he will have a better chance of being the center of mine.
What’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever done?
Oh my God. I’ve been on this planet a good long time. I could write a book about all the cool stuff I’ve done. (Hey, maybe I will!) The story I tell the most is how I made a list for the perfect man, called to the universe to bring him to me and then married the guy when he appeared. Then I wrote a book about that—MAGICAL MAN LIST—coming out in October. (Forgive the shameless plug!)
What else would you like readers to know about you or your work?
I have novels circling over my head waiting to land and sometimes can’t write fast enough to get them all down on paper. My characters talk to me, argue with each other and sometimes try and run away with the novel. I have to ask, “Who’s in charge here?”
I wake up in the middle of the night sometimes with complete storylines in my head and have to get up and write it all down before I go back to sleep. Otherwise when I wake up I’ve forgotten it all and I’m left with this feeling that I’m missing something.
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Christine McKay
The Last Queen
Tell us about your most romantic fantasy. If you could have a 24-hour romantic fling with anyone you wanted, anywhere you wanted, where would you go, what would you do and with whom would you do it?
Wow, that is really opening Pandora's box. I think I could write several novels detailing such a fling. I think I'd like to be able to go back in time and relive some of those precious "new love" moments when my husband was just my boyfriend (and about 10 years younger, a bit more flexible, and with fewer injuries) Especially when he proposed to me, with a 90-foot sign running the length of my barn, and all the neighbors knew about it before I even got home.
Tell us about your upcoming release and what you hope readers will enjoy about it.
THE LAST QUEEN is set in contemporary time in Wisconsin. Adrianne Harris is a normal computer teacher who finds out after a horrific accident that not only does she have some extraordinary psychic skills but she's clearly not human. A band of aliens who can shape-shift into dragons find her and help her understand and control her newfound skills. It's several romances mixed with fantasy elements set in the contemporary world. I also have a kick-ass evil guy, a pack of paranormal hounds, a very sexy hero, and an equally sexy set of secondary characters. I think every story needs to be written well enough to allow its readers to indulge in a bit of escapism from real life. I hope I've provided that.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
I own a 46-acre farm. Since I hated to waste the barn and the land, we own around 50 Boer goats, two mules, a donkey, a lot of rabbits, three dogs, three cats, and a llama. This could be a full-time job in itself. I like to play with the animals, especially the new baby goats. I ride the mules and the donkey, and enjoy ATVing, and fishing. I am also a huge reader. I read everything I can get my hands on, from magazines to novels. I don't have a particular favorite romantic genre. I love them all!
What do you like about where you live?
I live in a fairly rural setting. I can watch the Amish trot their horses down the road in the mornings. Everyone knows each other's name and looks after one another. The land is gently rolling, dotted with farms. The neighborhood has dairy and beef cattle farms and a large horse operation. It's very peaceful.
If you could have one special super or magical power, what would it be?
This also seems to change on a daily basis. Right now, it would be the ability to stop time, like Harvey the rabbit in the 1950s James Stewart movie Harvey. Wouldn't that be wonderful? To freeze time on a perfectly beautiful day and indulge yourself?
What’s your favorite smell?
My favorite smell seems to change as I age. Right now, it's lilac. I have over 100 lilac bushes on my property and plant more every year.
What makes a man attractive to you?
It's his sparkle. It's not so much how he looks or talks but it's an indefinable sparkle, a combination of intelligence, wittiness, humor, and generosity.
What’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever done?
A few years ago, I participated in a ride known as "Shore-to-Shore." It's a cross-country horseback ride across the state of Michigan from Lake Huron to Lake Michigan. I rode my two mules, Rufus and Sidney. My husband would meet me each afternoon at a new campsite. I can't count how many tubes of Desitin the mules and I went through that sandy week.
What else would you like readers to know about you or your work?
I try to infuse that "sparkle" into every hero I create, be he young or old. I need to really enjoy my characters in order to be able to write about them, even the evil ones! To keep a clear image of my characters in my mind, I flip through all sorts of magazines and select interesting people pictures. Then I combine those pictures, give each photo a name, and start writing my story. If my husband can read my story and give a character name to each person, I know I've described them well.
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Bonnie Hamre
bonniehamre.com
Unspoken Promises
Tell us about your most romantic fantasy. If you could have a 24-hour romantic fling with anyone you wanted, anywhere you wanted, where would you go, what would you do and with whom would you do it?
Oh my…the possibilities. There’s always been a soft spot in my heart for my first lover. In my fantasy, we’d encounter each other again by chance. Our eyes would meet, revealing all the long-hidden emotions and yearnings. We’d reconnect somewhat hesitatingly, but driven with need and with 24 hours to pamper our every desire, we’d segue into a suite at an intimate resort with a private beach, complete room service and quiet time to indulge ourselves in all the pleasures of the flesh and the senses. In a soft moonlit night, frolicking in clear water, with warm breezes caressing bare skin, we’d discover if what we shared was merely a glorious fling or an enduring romance.
Tell us about UNSPOKEN PROMISES and what you hope readers will enjoy about it.
UNSPOKEN PROMISES is the result of many road trips across the Nevada desert along Interstate 80, the route of the old California Trail. Each time I traveled it, I wondered how the emigrants had managed vast waterless sections, blazing hot days and cold desert nights. From there, I wondered how modern people would manage without the amenities we take for granted, how they would cope with hunger and thirst, the rigors of the journey and the dangers from the unknown, and a time-travel tale was born. In this story, two people each reeling from devastating personal losses have to learn trust and compromise. Their lives may be 100 and more years apart, but the basic issues of love and commitment are enduring. I hope readers will be enthralled with the relationship between Mollie and Ford and root for their chances of finding happiness together.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
When is that? I usually sleep between midnight and five am! When I’m not writing fiction, I produce a travel site, South America for Visitors, for About.com. I spend time with my family and friends, travel, garden and read voraciously.
What do you like about where you live?
It’s tremendously rich in scenery, history and cultural activities—all grist for a writer’s mill. It has mountains, trees and water, my requirements for the perfect locale. My neighborhood is old and established, with big trees, parks, houses reeking charm and a sense of enduring personality.
If you could have one special super or magical power, what would it be?
Instantaneous transportation. I love to travel and would love to zap myself into different times, different locations.
What’s your favorite smell?
Only one? Homey aromas—babies fresh from their baths, clean sheets, roses, baking bread.
What makes a man attractive to you?
I love men’s hands. Working hands, the shape and tensile strength of them. Of deeper and more lasting importance, are character and integrity. Add a sense of humor, being able to laugh at himself as well as seeing the funny side of things. The ability to share, not just time, but feelings, emotions, ambitions, and himself. Tenderness. And of course, all this wrapped up in a good-looking package doesn’t hurt!
What’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever done?
I was born and raised and South America, traveled there extensively, then lived and traveled in Europe. Living in Scotland allowed me to find the connections to my past, and gave me a new appreciation for the troubles my paternal ancestors endured and their new beginnings in the United States.
What else would you like readers to know about you or your work?
I read the last page of a book first. If the ending doesn’t grab me, chances are I won’t read the book. Since I don’t want people doing the same to my books, I aim for the “aaah” ending, the one that leaves my reader fulfilled and yet hungry for another book from me. I write from the end backwards, too. By that I mean, I know the ending I want and plot the book, with all the twists and turns, to achieve that ending.
I try to create characters that my readers can identify with and share their fictional journey. I like to write flawed, many-faceted characters with compelling back stories that fuel the way they respond to the current situation. Through the course of the book, I want them to grow, to learn from their mistakes and emerge as stronger, better people. Creating rewarding conclusions for my characters makes me feel good.
History to me is much more than facts and dates. It’s people. How they thought, lived, worried, loved and coped with their daily stresses and accomplishments while they unknowingly laid the foundation for those who followed them. When writing historical fiction, with or without paranormal elements or fantasy, I strive to be as accurate as possible. I want my readers to live and breathe the time, the location and the issues facing my characters. I want my readers to be fully immersed in Mollie and Ford’s struggle to survive and find love and happiness While reading UNSPOKEN PROMISES.
Isn’t that what we all wish for ourselves?
I’d also like to invite readers to join my free newsletter list at: groups.yahoo.com/group/bonniehamre
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Bronwyn Green
bronwyngreen.com
Best Laid Plans
Tell us about your most erotic romantic fantasy. If you could have a 24-hour romantic fling with anyone you wanted, anywhere you wanted, where would you go, what would you do and with whom would you do it?
Aside from my hubby, who will completely forgive me for this, I’d love to spend some quality time with several of my characters…Micah and Asher from Overlord’s Vessel in particular. I’m thinking a 24-hour threesome with those two would be the hottest thing ever…or…now that I think about it fellow EC author Brynn Paulin has a couple of characters I’d love to get intimate with…Max and Josh Cress—two of four brothers that are involved in the BDSM scene. These guys are to-die-for hot! Perhaps I should consider all four…they’d certainly make for an interesting (and exhausting) 24 hours! lol
Tell us about BEST LAID PLANS and what you hope readers will enjoy about it.
BEST LAID PLANS is the story of a Tessa and Zander. They’ve been friends for years, and though the attraction has been there, they’ve never dated one another. They enter into a faux relationship in order to alleviate a work-related crisis for Zander, but the romance quickly becomes real. Unfortunately, things become complicated—Tessa has secrets she’s never shared with him—secrets that could change their relationship. Her past and present are in danger of colliding—she’s a rape survivor who’s currently being stalked, and falling in love with Zander changes things in ways she never expected.
Despite our advancement as a society, rape is still one of the most unreported crimes. At last count, the statistics on rape indicate that one of out of six women in America are sexually assaulted and one in 33 men—that a sexual assault occurs every two and a half minutes. And often, the victims are still the ones being blamed. My hope is that Tessa and Zander’s story will illustrate that rape doesn’t have to define a person’s life and that surviving and thriving are possible. I hope that readers will enjoy the journey of love and healing that leads Tessa and Zander to their happily ever after.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
I love spending time with my family and friends. Besides reading, I also love to sew, cross stitch, knit, draw, paint, work with clay. There’s something kind of intoxicating about creating something from a scrap of fabric or a lump of clay. I guess that’s part of the reason I love writing so much—entire worlds are created from blank pieces of paper.
What do you like about where you live?
I live in West Michigan where, despite the constant, annoying road construction, it’s absolutely beautiful. Lake Michigan is nearby, there are also woodlands and meadows, streams and smaller lakes all over the place. The wild places in nature make me happy.
If you could have one special super or magical power, what would it be?
I’m torn. I guess I’d either undo the ecological ravages of the earth or, on a purely selfish note, stop time so I could do everything that needs doing in a given day.
What’s your favorite smell?
My favorite smell is the blend of essential oils this gypsy woman made for me. It’s sandalwood, vanilla and clove with a hint of cinnamon. I wear it all the time.
What makes a man sexy?
Oh boy—any number of things. This is going to make me sound like the groupiest girl ever, but there’s something about a guy playing guitar or piano and singing that gets me every time. Adam Duritz of Counting Crows and Bono of U2 are good examples. I don’t find either one particularly attractive—until they start singing. They both exhibit such passion with a hint of vulnerability that I find really compelling. Also, intelligence and a sense of humor are a necessity. And on the physical side, I have a thing for long hair, strong hands and that glorious hipbone curve. Sigh…
What’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever done?
Well…I was in a New Wave garage band when I was in high school and college …but lately the most interesting thing I’ve done was a twelve hour ride along with an officer from my local police department. We saw to everything from domestic assaults to drunk drivers to breaking up parties to the scene of a shooting to look for evidence. It was absolutely fascinating and I can’t wait to use some of my new research in a book!
What else would you like readers to know about you or your work?
My stories are character driven and I love a happy ending. I also love to hear from readers. I want to continue to grow and develop as an author so I appreciate feedback.
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Sam Cheever
electricprose.com
'Tween Heaven and Hell
Tell us about your most romantic fantasy. If you could have a 24-hour romantic fling with anyone you wanted, anywhere you wanted, where would you go, what would you do and with whom would you do it?
I would go to Lothlórien, which is the forest refuge of the elves in Lord of the Rings, and I would lock Legolas into a room high in a tree with me. We’d drink wine and eat fruit and cheese to keep our strength up for other delights. Then we would ride elegant horses at a full gallop through the forest and along the river. Although Legolas is the strong silent type, all he would need to do is smile at me and I’d be totally lost. I’m a total sucker for Orlando Bloom.
Tell us about ’TWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL and what you hope readers will enjoy about it.
It is a romantic fantasy which is set in the future. My main characters, Astra Q Phelps and Royal Devil Prince Dialle, are thrown together as the result of apparently random events but they later find out that their union might be the fulfillment of a 2,000-year-old prophesy. Prophesy or not, they soon learn that they have very strong feelings of the physical kind for each other and those feelings might be the catalyst that helps them save the world from a catastrophic war between rival Devil Courts and a couple of sinfully ambitious kings.
My heroine, Astra is a member of a race that is half Angel and half Devil, called Tweeners. Thirty years before the story begins, mankind has fought an epic war that desecrates the world as we know it, weakening the barriers that hold the evil forces at bay, and devils, demons, gargoyles, and a variety of other nasty things slither in to take up residence amongst humankind. Since that time, God and his Angelic forces have been trying to overcome these denizens of the dark world, with inconsistent results. Almost in desperation, the Big Guy decides to enlist the help of the Tweeners. Since she runs a demon vaporizing business and has a guardian Angel who serves on the Angel Council, Astra is the obvious choice to help out the good side.
My hope is that the story makes readers laugh, and cheer, and keep turning the pages. And when they’re done with the book I hope they want more just like it. I want the book to haunt them for a while after reading it. Because that means it got to them. That’s how I judge the worth of a book. If I can’t let it go after I’m done with it, I know it was a really good book.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
I have horses and I like to ride. My horse Bouke is a Friesian. He’s one of those big, black, hairy horses like they always feature in medieval movies. He’s very sweet and he and I are great buds. We practice dressage together and stroll around the property on trails. When I’m on the back of a horse, my life is pretty darn close to perfect.
What do you like about where you live?
I live in the country with a few acres around me. While I love interacting with people, I also like my private time. At my house I can go out in my jammies in the morning to get the paper and nobody can see me. I really like that freedom. I also have woods and a creek on my property and the dogs and I (I have nine dogs.) like to go sit in the sand by the creek. The three daschunds dig in the sand and swim and the rest of them walk through the water and search for critters to harass. When my family and I decided that dogs and horses would be our hobby, we made the commitment to living out a bit from the city and I’ve never regretted it. Life is just so peaceful out in the country.
If you could have one special super or magical power, what would it be?
Transporting myself with a thought. My family is scattered all over the country and I’d like to be able to pop in to see them whenever I wanted.
What’s your favorite smell?
Nostalgia. You know what I mean, like when you’re walking or driving somewhere with the windows down and a smell catches you and suddenly you’re transported back to a moment from your past and all of those feelings wash over you again. The smell could be anything, but something about the way it hits you brings some part of your life into bright focus. It’s an amazing experience.
What makes a man attractive to you?
Strength. I like the alpha male. I have very little patience with “sensitive” men, who take pride in emulating what they view as feminine qualities. I want a man who will fight a battle that needs to be fought. Not a man who thinks feelings are more important than principles. And a great butt doesn’t hurt either.
What’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever done?
Writing ’TWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL. I really mean that. I felt every word in the book and poured myself into every character, every scene. I created a world that is larger than life. A world that transcends reality. I like to put it this way…if life could be a color, life in Tween would be a bright, vibrant red. Most of us live in beige, striving for blue. My characters live in a fiery red world, pulsing with color.
What else would you like readers to know about you or your work?
Along with a couple of other projects, I’m currently working on the sequel to ’TWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL. It’s entitled, ’TWEEN A DEVIL AND HIS HARD PLACE, and it begins where ’TWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL left off. The gist of the story is that the demon court has decided it wants autonomy. They want an equal portion of power and a place at the table for the upcoming Dark World Council. But the demons have been subjects of the Royal Devil Court for millennia and King Dialle isn’t even tempted to hear their case. So the demons are threatening to take out a few humans and start a new war. And the Angel Council of course wants Astra to fix it.
But as Astra starts to try to get underneath the mess, she soon learns that her family is somehow mixed up in the dilemma and she is about to get blindsided by the people she loves and trusts the most…again. The local witches’ coven is rumored to be stirring the cauldron to get the demons worked up and Astra discovers that her very good friend DD Raoul, who is a cop with the Strange Deaths Department of the police as well as a member of the local coven, might be mixed up in the whole mess somehow. Everywhere she turns a new live wire is spitting in her face, and she isn’t sure who’s on her side and who would really just like to see her dead. In short, it’s just another day in the life of Astra Q Phelps.
I hope I’ll make a lot of new friends with my ’Tween books and keep them for a long, long time. I look forward to getting to know my readers, and sharing our common love of fantastical things.
Thanks for letting me chat with you. I’ve enjoyed it immensely.
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Anny Cook
annycook.com
Dancer's Delight
Tell us about your most romantic fantasy. If you could have a 24-hour romantic fling with anyone you wanted, anywhere you wanted, where would you go, what would you do and with whom would you do it?
Hmmm. Well, don’t tell my husband (we’ve been married 40 years now and really, does he need to know?) but I have a complete crush on Dancer, the hero in DANCER’S DELIGHT. So where would we go? Anywhere he wanted. He’s pretty inventive and creative and um, hot, so I would leave it up to him. I’m completely sure that I wouldn’t be disappointed.
Tell us about DANCER’S DELIGHT and what you hope readers will enjoy about it.
The book is part fantasy, part suspense. That would make it a fantastic suspense. It’s the tale of a weary assassin looking for a refuge. When he stumbles into a strange valley inhabited by blue people, he finds the love of his life. His journey to happiness with Eppie, the beautiful gardener has a few twists and turns but is worth it in the end. I hope readers will enjoy the story, of course, but more than that I hope they will find a few fantastic hours of excitement in Mystic Valley with Dancer and Eppie.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
When I’m not writing, I love to read or work on my illuminated calligraphy projects. When I’m not reading every book I can get my hot little hands on, I re-read books from my keeper shelves. Lately I haven’t had time to work on the calligraphy as much, but I love to plan the projects and design fancy decorated capitals for them. And usually I design intricate borders for them also. That’s it. Reading or calligraphy.
What do you like about where you live?
We moved to this area about four years ago. It has a wonderful temperate climate which usually isn’t too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter while still allowing us to have four seasons. My apartment faces a tree belt so I can leave my balcony door open to the breezes, listen to my wind chimes, and watch the squirrels play in the trees while I work out the knots in my plots.
If you could have one special super or magical power, what would it be?
If I could have one special ability it would be telepathy. Not the power to read minds because that would be an invasion of privacy, but the power to talk to another person across the country without the artificial necessity of a telephone. It seems to me that as a parent it would be very convenient to be able to say, “Johnnie, dinner is ready…time to come home.” Or to tell your husband to bring home a loaf of bread…
What’s your favorite smell?
I suppose that I’m dating myself but I love the smell of Old Spice. I grew up with that scent on most of the men around me. It’s both comforting and alluring so it strikes a chord of familiarity even if the man wearing it is a stranger.
What makes a man attractive to you?
Intelligence without arrogance. Kindness. Tenderness. Concern for the less fortunate around him. And a willingness to pitch in and help with whatever is needed. While a man can be beautiful to look at, if he doesn’t have the other qualities, then I don’t find him appealing.
What’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever done?
Wow, I have no idea. I live a very quiet life. I suppose that the most interesting thing I’ve done is have children because when you have children you learn something new everyday. Because I’m a parent, I’ve experienced things—both good and bad—that I wouldn’t have experienced otherwise. And because I’m a parent I’ve also had the experience of being a grandparent.
What else would you like readers to know about you or your work?
Well, first of all, I want to say that I love writing. I’m so thrilled that someone else has the opportunity to read the words I’ve written. I never want to disappoint me readers so I work hard to write stories that are exciting, sensuous, and loving. And I want to mention that DANCER’S DELIGHT is the first in a series set in Mystic Valley. The sequel, TRAVELLER’S REFUGE will be released from Ellora’s Cave next month, August 10.
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