tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55020773837524555812024-02-21T08:41:30.589-08:00Protect your SensibilitiesMindy MacKayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04291851417551468618noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502077383752455581.post-4781988598355603002011-04-27T19:30:00.000-07:002011-04-27T19:33:12.560-07:00NRABT - Gianna Simone<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/73734041/sn/404024248/name/HealingTheMageFinalMed%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 309px; height: 480px;" src="http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/73734041/sn/404024248/name/HealingTheMageFinalMed%5B1%5D.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> 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style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">My name is Gianna Simone, and I write mostly paranormal, with BDSM elements, but I also like to write historicals and I have a WIP that's sci-fi themed.<span style=""> </span>I'm hoping that becomes the first of a three part series. I have two beautiful kids, and I work a full-time job that involves some travel, so that makes time a luxury for me. But whatever little bits of it I get, I spend writing. Or playing online. Mostly on Twitter, you can find me there under Gianna_Simone, or at my blog, <a href="http://giannasimone.blogspot.com/">http://giannasimone.blogspot.com</a>. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">My books, <i style="">In the Devil's Arms</i> and <i style="">Healing the Mage</i>, are both available through Noble Romance Publishing. <a href="http://www.nobleromance.com/BrowseListing.aspx?author=122">http://www.nobleromance.com/BrowseListing.aspx?author=122</a>. I also have a story, Bound for Love, that appears in the Red Roses and Shattered Glass anthology. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">So we're talking about archetypes. I'm not very comfortable with them – they always elude me. Maybe because most of my heroes sprung from a villain in some way – whether it's a character in a TV show, a movie, a book, or my own wild musings. I can honestly say that my last several heroes have all come to life in my head because of one line of dialogue, or a phrase in a magazine article, and usually that line is told about a villain or spoken by a villain. And in fleshing them out, my heroes tend to have just as many bad traits as good. And they're not always willing to give up those traits or be redeemed. I always end up calling my heroes "anti-heroes."<span style=""> </span>One of my first heroes, was a vampire bent on world domination. He did give up that goal to keep the woman he loved, but he never stopped being ruthless and vicious if necessary to his plans, even killing his rivals if he had to, just to achieve his goals. She loved him in spite of that, so obviously, he had some good traits as well, but that dark, edgy side of him was very prominent and never went away. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Heroine archetypes give me just as much trouble. My heroines don't always have a kick-ass personality or a steel spine. Sometimes they want to run away or hide from their issues instead of standing up and confronting them head-on. In my current WIP, my heroine wants nothing more than to stay in her quiet little corner of the world where it's safe. And when that world is turned upside down, she doesn't want to stand on the battle lines and fight, she wants to get her ass out of there! But her heart won't let her abandon the hero who terrifies her as much as he excites her. So she cries and screams and fights it every step of the way, but the allure of the bad boy who swears to keep her safe takes over and she finds herself in the middle of a situation she has absolutely no skill set to handle.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Because my heroes tend to lean heavily over the line separating good and evil, my villains have to be that much more over the top. It's hard to flesh out pure evil and not come across as cartoonish, so they can be tricky. There is no heart to them, not even buried deep. They will stop at nothing to achieve their goals, including turning on those who they supposedly care about. That's basically the difference between my heroes and villains – my heroes, ultimately, DO care, and will go to the same lengths, even using dishonorable means, to protect their loved ones. My villains will sacrifice their loved ones if there is something to be gained in that. So it's a fine line, and a difficult one to balance. My villains are usually irredeemable in just about every way, whereas my heroes have some redeemable qualities, even if they keep their dark side.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Here's the blurb and an excerpt from Healing the Mage:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Blurb:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Lily Prentiss wishes she could ignore her inborn healing magic so she can live life on her terms, not follow the path her Magiste family chose for her. But when she stumbles across Aidan Marchand in the excruciating throes of evolving into a Mage, her touch is all that stops his pain and she can no longer deny her powers. When the sexy Dom seduces her into willing submission, she finds she doesn’t want to resist and actually enjoys giving up control.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Aidan has more to worry about than just his rapidly maturing powers – his business partner is blackmailing him into funding a venture that involves kidnapping young girls both magical and mortal, and selling them as sex slaves. Even as Lily’s touch eases Aidan's pain, he knows staying with her puts her in danger from his enemies. But the gift of her sexual submission helps him even more than her healing magic...so how can he let her go?</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Excerpt:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >Lily gaped at her aunt, then turned to Aidan. His lips twitched, as if they verged on a smile, and her fingers twitched as she fought the impulse to give him the same treatment she’d given her brother earlier. <i style="">Not with any witnesses</i>.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" ><span style=""> </span>“You have to be kidding me. You said I would only have to stay until the potions start working.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >Helene hesitated, frowning. “Apparently, I was mistaken. You’ll need to stay near Aidan until his powers have stabilized.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >Helene’s calm demeanor spiked Lily’s anger further. Why did she have the sinking feeling from the moment she’d set eyes on Aidan Marchand last night, her life had crashed and burned, and there was no going back?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >"I can’t stay here<i style=""> </i>. . . out of the question. I have to work, I have a life. I can’t stay with him all the time."</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >"It shouldn’t be more than a few days. Aidan has more than enough space to share."</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >"My suite is quite large, you’ll have plenty of room," Aidan said, making no effort at all to conceal his hopeful smile.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >"Very funny. I don’t think so." She eyed him cautiously, but no trace of the vicious anger remained. Relief left her knees trembling. The fury that had taken him over had been terrifying. Why wasn’t the potion enough to keep it at bay?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >"You’ll have to stay in the same room with Aidan. He<i style=""> </i>. . . there’s no telling when he might need to<i style=""> </i>. . . touch you."</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >"What is this, a conspiracy?" Lily yelled. She didn’t care anymore. She would not give up her life, everything she’d worked so hard for, so some spoiled, rich, Zyndevine Mage could manhandle her whenever he wanted. How dare he try to dictate her life? She would not give him the chance to ruin everything. And what if his powers were dark? To be the only one around if his fury unleashed again panicked her. How could Helene put her in potential danger?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >"No, it’s not. Lily, you need to calm down," said Helene.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >"Calm down? Aunt Helene, didn’t you just say his powers could be dark? How could you put me in that position?"</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >"Could be. We don’t know for sure they are," Helene replied.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >"We don’t know they’re not!" She struggled to steady her breathing. She avoided meeting Aidan’s gaze, stepping back as he reached for her. "Why is everyone trying to force me into this?"</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >"Lily, please." Helene glanced at Aidan, and the look brought a sudden spurt of wary annoyance to Lily. She backed up another step.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >"No, you please! All I did was trip over him in the park. That doesn’t mean I am the only one who can help. He needs someone who is trained. Equipped to deal with this and the potential dark powers. I want no part of that!"</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >"There’s a reason you felt his pain, Lily," Helene said. "You’re not even trained to recognize it, and yet, your natural talents came into play."</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >Lily stared. Her worst nightmare came to life. "My father called you." She glanced over at Aidan, who shrugged and shook his head. "No, you will not do this to me. I won’t be forced into what he wants."</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >"No, I didn’t<i style=""> </i>. . . yes, I did talk to your father. But he said nothing, asked me nothing. All he wanted to know was how you were."</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >The fist squeezing her heart tightened, and Lily’s breath came in sharp spurts. "I have to get out of here." She turned toward the Portal, her head spinning. This had all been a set<i style="">-</i>up! Helene and her father had conspired to get her shackled to Aidan, forcing her to use her healing skills, weak as they may be.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >Aidan’s arms came around her, and he pulled her against him, preventing her flight. She struggled against his hold, but his grip only tightened. "Wait. Don’t go. Hear me out."</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >She fell limp, disturbed to find his warmth comforting, and she couldn’t resist the strident need to hear what he had to say. She sensed a desperation in him, a fear he didn't conceal very well, despite his efforts. Why? What frightened him? Her anger deflated a bit. For a moment, she longed to sink back into him, accept his comfort, but she held herself stiff. So much made sense now. She'd been played, and she needed the betrayal to remain the focus of her attention.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >She had to get out of here, before she fell right into her father’s trap. The thought Aidan’s magic might be dark interwove everything else. She had heard plenty of stories about dark <i style="">Magiste</i>, knew they caused horror, violence and death. Her father had been on the front lines of the last <i style="">Magiste</i> war, and as Head Enforcer, often worked on cases involving dark magic. She'd heard enough growing up to know how terribly dark magic could be used. She recalled the case involving a dark Sorcerer who had used his magic to torture several women to death before he’d been caught and executed.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >She wasn't equipped to deal with someone who had those tendencies. She hadn't studied magic, hadn’t prepared to defend herself against dark forces, she'd avoided training in any way at all. She had as much skill as she'd had at eight; how could she possibly withstand someone stronger than her, who could possibly hurt her? In more ways than one. The burst of panic stole her breath, and she struggled against Aidan's now restraining arms.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >"Easy, <i style="">Fleur</i>. I’m not going to hurt you. I just want you to listen, okay?"</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >His lips at her ear made her shudder. How could such a pleasurable sensation be dark? It couldn’t. Could it? She desperately wanted to feel safe, and oddly, Aidan's embrace did make her feel secure. She nodded. She'd be better off to go along with him, anyway, and not anger him. As soon as the chance presented itself, she would get out of here.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >"Lily, no one is forcing you. This is not some plan to trick you. I wouldn’t do that. But I need you." He sighed.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >She bit her lip, the lump in her throat threatening to turn to a sob, her determination to get out of this situation fading. His warm breath sent tendrils of heat through her, and despite herself, she shivered. Beneath his hand, her heart raced, fast and uneven, panicked. A slice of fear, sharp as hers, yet separate, sizzled through her.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >Aidan’s fear. When his hands stroked along her arms, the surge of wary anticipation grew. Those emotions tearing at her weren’t hers. The knowledge eroded still more of her resolve. What she felt from him didn't threaten her now; in fact, the emotional sensations beckoned a part of her she had buried ago.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >The gods seemed to delight in tormenting her. So not fair. Her physical reaction to him practically sent her to her knees. He had to know letting her feel his fear would be the killing blow. At the same time, terror still held her in its tenuous grip, terror at how easily she wanted to give in. She grabbed onto one thought, desperate not to let her life get taken away from her again. "This has my father‘s signature all over it. Set it all up and shove me in. I can’t."</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >He gently turned her to face him, staring into her eyes. "That’s not what this is. Honestly. Please believe me, Lily."</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >Another surge of desperate dread speared her. Again, she recognized it as his.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >She wanted to believe him, wanted to believe no conspiracy existed. She glanced around. Where had Helene disappeared to? The panic rose again. "I don’t like this. Where’s Aunt Helene?"</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >"She gave us a few moments of privacy to talk this over."</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >"We’re alone?" She swallowed the lump lodged in her throat, threatening to choke her.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >"She’s right outside. Are you scared, <i style="">Fleur</i>?"</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >She shook her head, unable to voice the lie.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >"I won’t hurt you."</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";" >She nodded, her throat still too thick to talk.</span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://sarahballance.wordpress.com/"><span style=";font-family:";" ><br /></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://sarahballance.wordpress.com/"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 110px; height: 110px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8aQTRlL5eEDbN_YYlR_tLfL79SCgrHmeCVQ4Vavq6_5ZkuBGPt0A80Hh_wLwQIGL6O0vf-HEdMr_eR9r3Dx2BWMLSgKhexkjPYJs2Y42GEqxtLRuA3znN8KtA99ezeGyUlc1bjf6vD1E/s200/NobleButtonBlogTour3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600456705167703090" border="0" /></a></p>Mindy MacKayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04291851417551468618noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502077383752455581.post-79798779896861050962011-04-26T15:48:00.000-07:002011-04-27T16:59:04.376-07:00NRABT - Cherie de Sues<span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/73734041/sn/1856488029/name/DangerousCurvesFinalMed.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 309px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 480px; CURSOR: pointer" border="0" alt="" src="http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/73734041/sn/1856488029/name/DangerousCurvesFinalMed.jpg" /></a><br /></span><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">Chérie De Sues is a "critically acclaimed" and "award winning" author of </span><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">thrillers, </span><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">paranormal and </span><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">contemporary </span><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">suspense romances from sensual to sizzling heat levels.</span><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">When Chérie tak</span><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">es a break from writing </span><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">novels, you can find her </span><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">at book signings, </span><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">online</span><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">, or traveling to research her next novel</span><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">. She shares her home in San Diego, California, with her Irish terrier, Reilly.</span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">Introduction:</span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">Hello Romance Readers,</span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">I'm Cherie De Sues, a romance author of suspense in many genres such as paranormal, contemporary and thrillers. When you read one of my novels, you'll feel the building of a character's anxiety and stress from the first page. Frankly, if the novel doesn't contain action, adventure, heated romance and suspense, I'd fall asleep writing the manuscript. So I write to please myself and found that romance readers enjoyed the ride too.</span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">You'll find the characters in my books, complex with good and bad faults, just like people. To me, a novel must have an outstanding character framework to attach a deep plot. To balance the suspense romance, a villain must have a bigger than life focus to attempt to destroy the hero and heroine. A good read needs the comfort of love and the anxiety of someone who wished to spoil that comfort. Good and bad are always gray in my novels, no hero is perfect, no villain is all bad. </span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">I write all my characters with care and passion, often using lesser characters as turning points in my stories. Imitating real life isn't magick in novels, understanding that many people have an effect on my hero or heroine's decisions is paramount. Just as I listen to my best friend or get advice from a parent or teacher, the same is with my characters. Expect a great deal of realism in all my books, I strive to reflect the diversity in life.</span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">One of my latest novels with Noble Romance is, "Dangerous Curves", a contemporary suspense novel. I enjoy taking risks when I write and Dangerous Curves was risky, because the heroine is a full-figured supermodel touring through Europe. Her grit and determination got her to where she is and Serena Russo won't give up her shot as the new spokesmodel for a Parisian designer after death threats. I'll give you an example from the first chapter.</span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">The attractive man sitting across the aisle watched passengers as they boarded the airplane. Selena Russo used his preoccupation to observe him again more fully. She'd been riveted earlier, when he'd walked down the aisle in snug jeans accentuating his strong thighs and long legs.</span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">He'd met her gaze with unusual amber eyes. If she hadn't seen the cameras he carried, she would have mistaken him for a model. His strong jaw and cheekbones gave him a sculptured look, one used by numerous designer houses.</span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">Surreptitiously, she studied his muscular chest, which strained against the white shirt he wore. The casually rolled sleeves exposed honey-colored hair on his forearms that matched the boyish tousled locks across his forehead. She wondered what his hair would feel like if she wove her fingers through the strands.</span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">She sighed, pleased at the thought, then felt her face flush when he looked her way, catching her mid fantasy. Mortified, she turned away and heard him chuckle softly. Selena forced herself to move slowly, gracefully, as she took out a magazine. With gaze lowered, she blindly flipped through pages.</span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">What had she been thinking, staring at him like that? Her pulse raced, and with a fingertip, she dabbed at the perspiration beading above her lip.</span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">She hid a coy smile—all this physical reaction from only the thought of touching him. Her imagination was in high gear today. She flipped another page, stifling a sigh at her response to his masculinity.</span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">Sadly, he had no reason to feel the same carnal thoughts about her.</span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">Selena chewed her lower lip as her self-esteem took a momentary dip. Even after all this time, there were still moments when she let others make her feel like a rube, a fake.</span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">A full-figured model didn't garner the same attraction as the leaner models enjoyed. She had to be content making great money, traveling to exotic locations, and turning a cheek at insensitive jokes. There would always be those who snickered, or worse, but she'd survive.</span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">Thank goodness for her father. As a family practitioner, he'd encouraged her to embrace her healthy Italian curves. While everyone else in her family had long, lean bodies made for running, she'd been voluptuous at thirteen.</span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">Her father insisted she took after his side of the family, where the women were curvaceous. Selena looked forward to meeting the Russo's, when the tour visited Rome. At last, she'd meet her Italian relatives. Her violet eyes were supposed to be a hereditary gift from her Russo ancestors.</span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">The foot traffic died down, and passengers took their seats as the pilot gave preflight instructions to the attendants.</span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">Within minutes, the plane climbed to thirty thousand feet for the long, transatlantic flight. She clandestinely explored her first class passenger seat, puzzled how the cushions turned into a bed for the journey. The European flight and first class accommodation would be a first for her.</span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">She sighed, content within the soft seat, and folded her magazine into her carry-on bag. A clause in her contract guaranteed the elegance of first class for the next three years. Hairdresser, makeup artist, and wardrobe mistress too—she had entered a new chapter as a model.</span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">She would have everything she'd worked so hard to achieve. The start of her new glamorous life waited for her in Paris. She was satisfied she'd left the death threats behind her in New York—she wouldn't give up her dreams.</span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">There were millions of women tired of draping shapeless fabric on their luscious curves. Available clothing in the stores lacked style, or worse, supplied the same style as apparel designed for the slender. The time had come for a designer to dress women across the world, regardless of size, who wanted and needed more glamour.</span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">The charismatic cameraman stood with a rustle of jeans, then walked toward the front of the plane. Selena inhaled a hint of his earthy cologne as the scent filled the air behind him. She leaned into the aisle, checking out his muscular butt before he disappeared into the small kitchenette.</span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">Her body hummed deliciously at the sight. Why deny her eyes the pleasure? The man could be the template for sexy alpha male. When he vanished from her line of sight, she felt free to imagine his lovemaking as he tapped the energy of those glutes.</span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">She took a breath and blew out some of the estrogen building up in her bloodstream. Clearly out of her league, he no doubt had his choice of beautiful, slender, and vampy women.</span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">Kevin, one of the two bodyguards who'd been assigned to her, rose from behind her seat, moving stealthily past to the same little room between aisles. Intrigued, she tapped a polished red nail on her armrest, waiting for the two men to return. The attendants passed out drinks, nuts, and chocolate candies as she bobbed her head to keep a keen eye.</span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">What would draw two large, muscular men to such a small space? She rose and headed toward the restroom that took her past the kitchenette, with Justin hot on her tail. Her jaw tightened. The security was unnecessary. Justin, the other of her new ex-Marine bookends, was crowding her style.</span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">Who needed bodyguards after a couple of threatening letters?</span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">Selena blamed her overly protective agent for her current, smothering situation; Gloria hadn't asked before making sure two bodyguards had appeared in Selena's contract. Any one of a hundred, international, full-figured models could have sent the letters. No doubt some were royally pissed she'd become the new Romantix spokesmodel.</span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">Of course they were angry; Romantix handed her a multimillion-dollar ad campaign for a new clothing line in Paris. She would have been surprised if there were no threatening letters. Models didn't compete for congeniality awards. At twenty-four, she beat out mostly younger models, and that fact hadn't been lost on her.</span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">Justin tailed her too closely. Selena paused to look back, giving him a withering look. He didn't blink.</span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">"I'm on my way to the bathroom. What could happen?"</span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">He smiled patiently and motioned for her to lead. She sighed. Since the moment she'd met her guards, they hadn't allowed her to go anywhere alone. </span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">She purposely slowed, only steps away from the kitchen door, and heard two men talking. She casually glanced inside—the handsome stranger stood speaking with Kevin. She frowned and slid into the restroom, then took some tissues out of the box for her handbag.</span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;">What would two strangers have to talk about only thirty minutes into their flight? Did they know one another? Interesting. A photographer or photojournalist, maybe . . . .</span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://indigoskyeinkandart.blogspot.com/"><img style="MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 110px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 110px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600028349293360402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo3AkNpHj1Jg5UQtYNKyAVtkN0l5xgVdK_Z70q5PHRsVVzmiTKCjcU4oG-ncNiW5zg-T5p5AFsQ3_Vqtt2LAa6o1CGeD_SWgbugI824SOxLgFAQkDvJyIRz5ffPTROrTWecmQqHFsVl4A/s200/NobleButtonBlogTour3.jpg" /></a></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:+0;"></span></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"></p>Mindy MacKayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04291851417551468618noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502077383752455581.post-44005007105818481302011-04-19T19:43:00.000-07:002011-04-19T19:45:21.673-07:00NRABT - Sarah Ballance<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> 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mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="" lang="IT">HERO-SCHMERO / Sarah Ballance (April 20)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="">After almost fourteen years of marriage and six kids, I don't have to look far to find my ideal hero:<span style=""> </span>I married him.<span style=""> </span>But notice I said ideal, and not perfect.<span style=""> </span>No, no, no, <i style="">please</i>, not perfect!<span style=""> </span>Why?<span style=""> </span>Because if there is anything that will drive me absolutely crazy, it's the "perfect" alpha hero.<span style=""> </span>Frankly, stoic carries zero appeal.<span style=""> </span>Flawless?<span style=""> </span>Nuh uh.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="">I know for many readers a romance is about the fantasy, but I can't relate to Mr. Perfect, much less fantasize about him.<span style=""> </span>For me, it's about the crooked grin, the worn jeans, and the mud on the tires.<span style=""> </span>Candlelight wouldn't be any fun if it didn't occasionally set off the smoke alarm, and a guy who hasn't once crossed the fine line of the law doesn't have much of a story to tell.<span style=""> </span>Not to say a law-abiding citizen can't be fun, but a man who has never been in trouble or made a mistake in his life?<span style=""> </span>We don't have much in common—that's for sure!<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="">Seriously, flaws make the man.<span style=""> </span>Flaws define character—both the real-life kind and the type you find in a book.<span style=""> </span>My guy needs to put me (or my heroine) first and leave the fate of the world to someone else.<span style=""> </span>He needs the ego that comes with self-confidence, and he needs to take hits—and occasionally deserve them—because<span style=""> </span>that's what life is about.<span style=""> </span>I don't want him to be a jerk, of course, but a real hero should be someone you can get mad at, because with anger comes passion, and with passion comes the absolute best kind of love.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="">Yep, that's right.<span style=""> </span>The <i style="">perfect</i> kind.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="">AUTHOR BIO:<span style=""> </span>Sarah and her husband of almost fourteen years live on the mid-Atlantic coast with their six young children, all of whom are perfectly adorable when they're asleep.<span style=""> </span>She often jokes that she writes to be around people who will listen to her, but her characters aren't much better than her kids.<span style=""> </span>Fortunately, as an author of romantic suspense she's got plenty of plot-time to exact her revenge on the unruly ones.</span><b style=""><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">RUN TO YOU Blurb:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="">Mattie James can't pinpoint exactly when she lost control of her life, but the moment she decided to take it back made the front page of the local paper. Desperate to dodge the fallout— and the tabloids—she jumps at the chance to spend an off-season week in a tiny resort community by the sea. Making the trip with her ex-lover is a complication she can live with; coming face to face with a dead woman is not.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="">The last thing Sheriff Wyatt Reed expected to find on the storm-ravaged beach was a beautiful blonde with a jealous sidekick, but one look at Mattie left him wanting more. Their first date takes an ominous turn when he gets the call that a woman was found murdered. With a killer on the loose and a troubling lack of suspects or motive, Wyatt has to put his feelings aside to focus on the case. But his vow not to become personally involved is shattered when he discovers Mattie's life is on the line, and this time the truth leaves her with a deadly choice . . . and nowhere to run.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="">BUY LINKS:<span style=""> </span></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004GXB0IS">Kindle</a> |<span style=""> </span><a href="https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=214">Adobe PDF, EPUB, MobiPocket, Microsoft Reader</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="">AUTHOR LINKS:<span style=""> </span></span><a href="http://www.sarahballance.com/">Website</a> | <a href="http://sarahballance.wordpress.com/">Blog</a> | <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sarah-Ballance-author/125956520788499?ref=ts&sk=wall">Facebook</a> |<a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/SarahBallance">Twitter</a> | <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4103362.Sarah_Ballance">GoodReads</a> |<span style=""> </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sarah-Ballance-author/125956520788499">Facebook Fan Page</a> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-size:180%;">Next stop on the Noble Authors Blog Tour is Indigo's visit with <a href="http://www.hcbrownauthoroferoticromance.blogspot.com/">H. C. Brown</a>.<span style=""> <br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.5pt;"><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style=""></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style=""><a href="http://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=260"><span style="font-size:100%;">And guys. Please take the time to check out the NRABT anthology, Red Roses and Shattered Glass!</span></a><br /></span></span></p>Mindy MacKayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04291851417551468618noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502077383752455581.post-12239003277481243802011-04-18T20:38:00.000-07:002011-04-18T20:44:27.926-07:00NRABT - HC Brown<span style="font-size:100%;"><b style="">H.C. Brown – 19 April</b></span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Bio:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">H.C. Brown is a multi published, award winning, highly credited author of Fantasy, Paranormal, Sci-Fi, Historical and Contemporary Romance.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Currently living in Australia, She believes every story should have a happy ending.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Published with Noble romance, Ellora's Cave and Pocket Book Publishing, H.C is an International All Breed Cat Judge in her downtime. H.C writes Young Adult romance under the name Pia Moonglow for Noble Young Adult Romance.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">My blog: http:// <a href="http://www.hcbrownauthoroferoticromance.blogspot.com/">www.hcbrownauthoroferoticromance.blogspot.com</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;">What do "hero" and "heroine" mean to you? And what about villains? What archetypes frequently appear in your own work, which ones do you like seeing in others' work, and which ones drive you completely up the wall with rage?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;">My heroes are always alpha males, big strong dependable types but all of them have some sort of vulnerability. My heroines are normal, girl next door types, not ravishingly beautiful or particularly confident in their appearance and absolutely not the top model types. I hope they are gutsy but not pushy or hardnosed.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;">My villains are usually demons, fantasy people, mad scientists and the like.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I hate seeing butch type females in male/ female romance, they just don't gel for me. A woman tougher than a man does not make me read on. The same goes for those females who constantly whine and complain . . . get a life.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I like villains that creep up on me when I'm reading— those you never expect to be the bad guy.</span></p><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" > </span></b></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" > </span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >Hawke's </span></b><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >Purr-fect Mate</span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >Blurb:</span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:100%;" >Deliciously handsome, insatiable alpha male, Hawke of Knight W</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:100%;" >atch, has a reputation, for a voracious and varied sex life. However, his ability to attract streams of men and women to his bed co</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:100%;" >mes into question when he meets the mysterious<i style="">, Ice Princess,</i> Lydia.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:100%;" >Lydia born of both Fae and Pride has a secret. Unable to chance the man of her dreams discovering the truth about her, she publically refuses the handsome Prince Hawke.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:100%;" ><span style=""> </span>Disillusioned and heart sore, Hawke must fight the battle of his life against the dogs invading his realm, and for the love of his true mate.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" > </span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Shifters & Demons</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=223">www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=223</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Love Revisited</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=249">www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=249</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" > </span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;">My links</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.hcbrownauthoroferoticromance.blogspot.com/">http://www.hcbrownauthoroferoticromance.blogspot.com</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.heathercbrown.bravehost.com/">http://www.heathercbrown.bravehost.com/</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.nobleromance.com/BrowseListing.aspx?author=40">http://www.nobleromance.com/BrowseListing.aspx?author=40</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.jasminejade.com/m-709-hc-brown.aspx">http://www.jasminejade.com/m-709-hc-brown.aspx</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3251580.H_C_Brown">http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3251580.H_C_Brown</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/H.C.-Brown/e/B003P0BCZE/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1">http://www.amazon.com/H.C.-Brown/e/B003P0BCZE/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.manicreaders.com/HCBrown/">http://www.manicreaders.com/HCBrown/</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:180%;"><a href="http://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=260"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Also, don't forget to check out the blog tour anthology...</span></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">And for the next stop in the tour:</span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://indigoskyeinkandart.blogspot.com/"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 110px; height: 110px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibBss4-xUoJDXFe3L2BJm5wGQmPFG555pWWVC0QH82DsLseoA1BaYCyT87Xbe1-eNNxlc-boYvrpdriGvTaQ7T-XIYcek55QgJF596MbXjd1kMjrEu-uFIKPxx_NKZhtVGEMnzNfCkzyw/s200/NobleButtonBlogTour3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597134679114078162" border="0" /></a></span></p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span></span>Mindy MacKayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04291851417551468618noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502077383752455581.post-8014141896583779202011-04-12T18:44:00.000-07:002011-04-13T04:49:07.090-07:00NRABT: Justine Elyot<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} 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Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--><span lang="EN-GB">I'd like to start by saying hello to Mindy and to everyone reading today. My name is Justine Elyot and I write mainly erotica and erotic romance for a variety of different publishers - one of which is, of course, Noble Romance. I've been doing this now for a few years, starting off with writing fanfiction as a hobby before dipping my toes into the darker but more satisfying waters of original fiction on the advice of my fandom community.</span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Mindy has set a fascinating topic to discuss for her series of guests - archetype. I'm a lover of all kinds of archetypes and tropes, many of which crop up time and time again in my stories. For the purposes of this post, I'm going to relate my discussion to my Noble book, <i style="">The Choirmaster</i>, because it contains many of my favourites.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">My hero, Matthew, is closest to the type of man I would like to know in real life. He isn't ostentatious or macho at all, but a quietly confident, competent individual with an absolute belief in himself and his vocation (he is a musician, as the title suggests). However, there is a side to him that needs a little work - I don't find 'perfect' characters interesting, so I would always include this. He can get carried away by his need for order and perfection, and he prefers to repress areas of his personality and sexuality rather than let anything 'messy' interfere with his life.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">My heroine, Loveday, turns all that upside-down and brings the passionate man out of the somewhat cool shell he can present to the world. She is pretty typical of my heroines - scatty, a bit naïve, looking for something without knowing what she is looking for. Not that I don't also write other types of heroine, but I like it when the hero has something to offer her, like a way out of a tricky situation.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">There isn't a villain in <i style="">The Choirmaster</i>, which is unusual for me because I adore a good baddy - the more complex and sinister the better. The Lothario, the Evil Overlord, the Good Man Gone Bad - all lovely. In fact, one of my first childhood crushes was on Darth Vader - analyse that!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Archetypes I'm not keen on - well, I don't have many. Overly perfect characters I've already mentioned, plus I'm not a great fan of the wimpy, weepy heroine. Loveday has her problems, but she isn't a limp lettuce type of girl. In fact, I don't think she even likes lettuce.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Please do come and join the fun at my blog <a href="http://justineelyot.wordpress.com/">http://justineelyot.wordpress.com/</a> or you can find a full list of my publications, plus plenty of other information at my sparkly new website <a href="http://justineelyot.com/">http://justineelyot.com/</a>.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">The Choirmaster </span></i><span lang="EN-GB">is available from a number of sites, including <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Choirmaster-ebook/dp/B004KAAUOM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=A7B2F8DUJ88VZ&s=books&qid=1300480301&sr=8-1">http://www.amazon.com/The-Choirmaster-ebook/dp/B004KAAUOM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=A7B2F8DUJ88VZ&s=books&qid=1300480301&sr=8-1</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">If you need extra convincing, here is an excerpt:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">Loveday considered it to be the best pitch in London: the broad windswept piazza hemmed in by the concrete slabs of the Barbican Complex. For one thing, the passers-by were often well versed in culture, heading for a concert or a play. For another, the Guildhall School of Music was one of those concrete slabs, and she had clung to her fantasy of ‘discovery’ by one of the professors for the six months she had been busking in this spot. Not as crowded as Covent Garden, not as ugly as the South Bank, not as manic as Oxford Street, it was a comfortable billet, if a little exposed.</span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">Most days, then, the slight, tattered figure of Loveday Morris, in raggedy tutu and several pairs of holey stripy tights, could be seen lugging a gigantic antique cassette deck to the steps, and today was no exception.</span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">Before she could rummage in her canvas bag for the right backing tape, though, charcoal stormclouds ballooned on the horizon, swirling around the peaks and glass towers of the City.</span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">Her face, a picture of dismay, turned itself skywards to receive a fat splash of rain. Bloody weather forecast. Always, always, wrong. Before she had had a chance to clasp the oversized tapedeck to her chest and run, the heavens had opened, spectacularly. The effect was as dramatic as if somebody had thrown a bucket of water over her head.</span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">By the time Loveday skittered into the nearest tube station she was at saturation point, hair squiggling in rats tails down her back, nose dripping, a mascara emergency scrawled all over her face. She was cold, freezing cold, but if she wanted to eat tonight, the supper must be sung for.</span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">At the bottom of the escalator, she found the backing tape and slid it into the cassette player with half-numb fingers. The lucrative concert-goer market could still be caught down here. Perhaps today would be the day. Discovery. A scholarship. A life in music, real music, beautiful music.</span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">She fast-forwarded the tape until it arrived at her feelgood song, her theme tune. Time to shut her eyes, forget the kohl carnage, forget the freezing rain that had soaked into every pore, forget that she was hungry and tired and her knee hurt, and just…sing.</span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">When Loveday sang, you did not see her pallor or her thinness, her torn shirt or her rent fishnets. When Loveday sang you only saw the pictures her voice painted. For three minutes there were Parisian boulevards instead of clinical tiles, the sun warmed the pavements and a bohemian beauty revelled in her charms before your fascinated eyes.</span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">She awoke to the clink of a coin in her beret and leant down to wind the tape on.</span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">“You’re very good,” said somebody. She straightened up to see a man leaning on the bottom of the escalator. “Are you at the Guildhall?”</span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">“Oh, no,” she blushed self-consciously. “I’m on benefits.” Immediately she wanted to kick herself for the stupidly irrelevant response. Way to be discovered, Loveday! Make him think you’re a deadbeat!</span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">“You’re in a choir though?”</span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">“Oh, God, no, I don’t think one would have me,” she flustered, ever more discomposed beneath his cool blue-eyed scrutiny.</span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">“Mine would.” He searched his inner jacket pocket and produced a card, holding it in front of Loveday’s still mascara-clogged eyes. The London Orchestral Singers. She had heard of them; indeed, seen them in concert years before. A proper choir.</span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">“Really? Are you in the L.O.S.?” she asked, impressed.</span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">He laughed. “No, I’m the chorus master. Why don’t you join? I’d have to audition you, of course, but I don’t see that it would be a problem. You can sight-read?”</span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">Loveday nodded. This was mad, though. She couldn’t join a choir. She couldn’t offer a commitment, with her crazy chaotic life the way it was.</span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">“Thanks, but I’m not sure…”</span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">“Oh, I am,” he said. There was something steely about his smile, and Loveday got the impression that he was not a person you would argue with. “You look about to freeze to death. Look, I’m on my way to a rehearsal now. Why don’t you come along? Let me buy you a coffee first and do the proper hard-sell on you.”</span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">He beckoned, turning away before she had a chance to reply, and Loveday felt a piercing shot of resentment at his expectation that she would trot along after him without question. Yet that was exactly what she did. Probably a serial killer, reasoned her not-very-reasonable mind, to which the rather dispiriting reply was, Let’s hope so, eh? Times were hard. Things were bad. Loveday had been on self-destruct for a long time, yet she still seemed to be here. Following him up the escalator, she noted that he was slender – not skinny, in the way a diet of lentils and brainrot cider had made her. Perhaps if he was trying to lure her to her doom, she might be able to put up some kind of fight. He was tall, though – much taller than her, and the leanness was probably all muscle. </span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">He grinned down at her from the step above and said, “So, are you a ballerina too?”</span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">“I’m sorry?”</span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">“The tutu.”</span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">Oh yes. The tutu. Though it was hardly suitable for performance-wear any more, and it would have been difficult to pull off a demi-plié in her clumpy biker boots. A shapeless black hand-knitted jumper and two armfuls of bangles completed the look. Just your average chorister, really.</span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">“Oh, everyone’s wearing them, dahling,” she said vaguely. “Didn’t you know?” And you could be Rudolf Nuryev, with those cheekbones.</span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">He chuckled, but there was an off note in there, carried through to the expression of veiled concern on his face. “You’re shivering,” he said.</span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">“Oh.” She tried to stop, but her bones weren’t co-operating.</span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">“Come on. Coffee,” he said, steering her around the corner as soon as they arrived on the street, straight into the million and first branch of Starbucks to open in that area that week. “We usually warm up before a rehearsal, but not as literally as this. Look, can I get you something to eat?”</span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">“No, no, honestly!” Loveday was starving but she didn’t want to owe this stranger anything. A skinny latte was debt enough to be going on with.</span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">When he brought the coffees over, it was clear that Loveday’s skinny latte was anything but. It was about triple-strength, full-fat, like a milkshake with a hint of coffee. You could have stuck a spoon upright in it. She didn’t complain though. It was very obviously intentional. And he seemed to mean well.</span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">“I’m sorry, I haven’t introduced myself,” he said, thrusting an arm towards her. “Matthew.”</span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">It only remains for me to thank Mindy again for being such a gracious hostess and to remind you all to hop over and find Indigo Skye at<a href="http://sarahballance.wordpress.com/"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Sarah Ballance's blog. </span></span></a></span></p>Mindy MacKayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04291851417551468618noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502077383752455581.post-34156110552922277132011-04-11T20:34:00.000-07:002011-04-11T20:41:51.094-07:00Noble Authors Blog Tour: Bianca SommerlandBig hugs to Mindy for having me here today. This tour is a whirlwind and I’m thrilled to have you along for the crazy ride. So what can I tell you about me that hasn’t been scribbled on bathroom stall somewhere? (I’m kidding, cross my heart <g>). Well, how ‘bout I give you a peek into my mind. Not the kinky stuff that reflects on the surface, but deeper. I like using cars for reference, so think of looking under the hood of a Dodge Challenger Mopar—or any special edition car really, but this one’s my new obsession. <br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqCY3hfoRTxMWZ2_lyiUZ-ZiYxgQv9Cbs7WhPM9ssk5qTcHqOczMxKiz6cPXTKhliuoIX23oV4Sjj6ZujU0Tfs_7GO-ACBfJabo_5BWyO4I2loI_m7I4AlNR7nc7kiGQ8frMYjWUf4RaA/s1600/engine.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594536260466455778" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 106px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqCY3hfoRTxMWZ2_lyiUZ-ZiYxgQv9Cbs7WhPM9ssk5qTcHqOczMxKiz6cPXTKhliuoIX23oV4Sjj6ZujU0Tfs_7GO-ACBfJabo_5BWyO4I2loI_m7I4AlNR7nc7kiGQ8frMYjWUf4RaA/s200/engine.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Essentially, the engine functions the same as any other, but there are several core differences that give the car an edge. Does this make it better than other cars? Not really. As long as you’ve got more speed than a golf cart, you’re good driving from your house to the mall. Extra features are there in case you choose to use them, much like talents. You can use them as often as you want. Or never. With a special edition or modified car, you’ve got what you need to get from point A to point B. But using a car designed for the track to do groceries always seems a bit silly to me. If you’re lucky, you’ve got another car for day to day stuff and can put your sexy beast away for special occasions. If not, well, you’ve got to train yourself how to keep the roar of the engine to a purr when you pull up in front of your kid’s school. Try to make your pony fit in with the minivans and Volkswagens parked by the soccer field, even though it looks like a thoroughbred grazing with cows. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIT1ug96ScsPsx5RPuM8QqWct2s3ggzJO8XQ2JlGP3QUeY3g8KZEGuc56S-soScVQ9xcwOUBs8Ges6GqOSRMtjXMHaVChDjJGoBWMVtOwY2RlBM0Ghunymfpc8_fvOxjRJDMkrpqL7JP4/s1600/car+in+parking+lot.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594536891195921250" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIT1ug96ScsPsx5RPuM8QqWct2s3ggzJO8XQ2JlGP3QUeY3g8KZEGuc56S-soScVQ9xcwOUBs8Ges6GqOSRMtjXMHaVChDjJGoBWMVtOwY2RlBM0Ghunymfpc8_fvOxjRJDMkrpqL7JP4/s200/car+in+parking+lot.jpg" border="0" /></a>Confused? Well, how ‘bout I put it like this. When you walk down the street, do you notice that bum, sitting on the corner? Maybe. You slow down; notice the holes in his shirt, the acrid scent of body odour and the bitterness of cheap wine. Pity twinges in the back of your mind and you fish some change from your pocket. Dropping it into his empty, paper coffee cup you spare him a smile, then continue on your way. The feeling of having done something good stays with you for a bit. But your mind wonders to who you’re going to see at work, what you’re making for supper, the fact that your husband didn’t take out the trash. You’ve moved on. Unfortunately, my brain doesn’t work like that. Everything I do—every person I interact with, leaves an impression that can linger for hours. If I let it, my brain will stay in writer mode all the time. I can’t carry on a normal conversation because I’m not seeing things around me in the detached way a person has to if they’re going to transition from one activity to the next. My mind is attuned to every nuance, every tiny detail, none of it relevant to what I’m trying to accomplish at the moment. Vroom vroom. To tell you the truth, sometimes I’m jealous of the people who can go through their lives relatively unaffected by things around them. I imagine how easy it must be to focus on the here and now when you can turn the rest of the world off, how simple it would be to ride on cruise control for a little. I imagine every artist—from painters to dancers—feels this way sometimes. What would it be like to not feel everything with such intensity? Then I’m grateful. I love what I do and I wouldn’t want to be anyone else, or feel like anyone else. Besides, it could be worse. I could be a genius. Imagine your only mode of transportation being a stealth fighter. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZieoRTXiL08BuH60RpIGFjGcTHrGd_nt495CXcmbn7fJ3JZYjBDOLYM920EDVLVAk8upLoH3R4uQJt9vXKuDzesfqrcL0uGouyxURf0-LwNu3WRhiuWoNWLH6ChhgUZfsLMmF8A_diZw/s1600/Stealth+fighter.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594536640101938802" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 124px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZieoRTXiL08BuH60RpIGFjGcTHrGd_nt495CXcmbn7fJ3JZYjBDOLYM920EDVLVAk8upLoH3R4uQJt9vXKuDzesfqrcL0uGouyxURf0-LwNu3WRhiuWoNWLH6ChhgUZfsLMmF8A_diZw/s200/Stealth+fighter.jpg" border="0" /></a> Yikes. And now that I’ve admitted to being something of a freak, let’s get to the topic de jour. Archetypes. Not sure what I can say about archetypes. I’d like to say I don’t use them, but that would be nonsense. Of course I use them. To construct a well developed character, you really must consider who they are. An alpha male with a heart of gold? A studly geek? A gangster with a hero complex? My heroes tend to be either jokers or jerks. Why? Well, I guess if I do a self-psychoanalysis, I can trace the attraction to that type of man back to high school. The guys I crushed on were either the cute class clown who disrupted the class and demanded all the attention, or the bad boy who was just plain mean to me. In many ways, I wasn’t your average teenage girl—I was reading college level before I hit seventh grade—but I didn’t escape the boy crazy stage. I can recall two crushes that became the center of my universe for a time. One joker, one jerk. I actually got up the nerve to give the tough guy my phone number (I won’t tell you how, I might use it as a plot bunny one day). Needless to say when he called—which obviously shocked the hell out of me—I made a fool of myself. As for the joker, well, I ended up dating one of his friends. Which meant I sat across from him every day in the cafeteria and pretended to be cool with being friends. Anyway, I guess when I write, my heroines live out my fantasies, take chances, and, since I’m in charge of the caste, she gets a man—or several—who will love her. The heroines in my stories—well, so far they’ve been nice girls. And nothing like me. This is where I take myself out of the story and give my dream boys what I imagine would be their dream girl. She’s sweet, funny, patient, unlikely to get violent when pissed off (although she might throw things—no one’s perfect). She looks good in everything she wears, even if she doesn’t think so, and a good man (or a bad boy) can’t help feel his protective urges kick up around her. Last, but not least, my villains. What can I say about them? Only this: I come up with some pretty twisted things to do to my main characters. The bad guys better be able to pull them off. Writing ménage clearly means more characters and that’s where things get real interesting. How many book have you read where you’ve favourite character wasn’t the hero? His best friend, his brother, his boss—you can’t help wishing the heroine had gotten with them instead. Ménage takes away some of those limits. The lucky girl can have whoever she wants. If the story’s polyamory, she gets to keep them. Works for me! J </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuD6asVH7g1mdEMlfXenq5qZeWRcHi-21lyBLJ_su_y9qyRuEHT2WPYjDwdGm1sdcWA4dGLocBRAmt3vx9JZKkvfSWfIXj4OeGtlRMyKdzQaG13ZOAArj9lGge-hhDYJSVbQbQ4Pc1OPk/s1600/DeadlyCaptiveFinalMed.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594537055188944866" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 129px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuD6asVH7g1mdEMlfXenq5qZeWRcHi-21lyBLJ_su_y9qyRuEHT2WPYjDwdGm1sdcWA4dGLocBRAmt3vx9JZKkvfSWfIXj4OeGtlRMyKdzQaG13ZOAArj9lGge-hhDYJSVbQbQ4Pc1OPk/s200/DeadlyCaptiveFinalMed.jpg" border="0" /></a>Deadly Captive: She might not remember who she is, but she’ll never forget what they’ve done. For more of Bianca Sommerland, visit: <a href="http://imnoangelauthorsblog.wordpress.com/">http://imnoangelauthorsblog.wordpress.com/</a> For the next stop in the tour, click here: <a href="http://sarahballance.wordpress.com/">http://sarahballance.wordpress.com/</a> </div></div></div>Mindy MacKayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04291851417551468618noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502077383752455581.post-42211738669873304752011-04-05T15:11:00.003-07:002011-04-05T17:36:03.360-07:00Next up: Indigo Skye!<span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh44zyD30JT-NIXLWRIFe1ymvXq-abNz6Jbi71FhdaZJIUtoFHnAHFfms-8YTMV-JC_Up_ieheiW1oF-Oo6FjkXrZFIJmwNs5NludYgalZsBGYQ9lWUcsqkwVy_DTL3yxEud_vqd7XaW-k/s1600/HerCaptiveMuseBanner2+%25282%2529.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 374px; height: 48px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh44zyD30JT-NIXLWRIFe1ymvXq-abNz6Jbi71FhdaZJIUtoFHnAHFfms-8YTMV-JC_Up_ieheiW1oF-Oo6FjkXrZFIJmwNs5NludYgalZsBGYQ9lWUcsqkwVy_DTL3yxEud_vqd7XaW-k/s200/HerCaptiveMuseBanner2+%25282%2529.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592230268239185858" border="0" /></a><br /><br />So, first things first: introduce yourself. Name, genre, a bit about what you write, and maybe <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDibtEZC0v4D4LjjRSt_YVH8W8CdODtkdtkVoHNqOM8cUSgq5nXU90ur5vPcAaGldTsvikfk9jo0oUAnULg4xU9TyzJ54bMBnpEGNhrJJaVVXhP3p_hO3H28H6uOFsnUX9xT4Rk7ohnSo/s1600/uniformbehaviour.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDibtEZC0v4D4LjjRSt_YVH8W8CdODtkdtkVoHNqOM8cUSgq5nXU90ur5vPcAaGldTsvikfk9jo0oUAnULg4xU9TyzJ54bMBnpEGNhrJJaVVXhP3p_hO3H28H6uOFsnUX9xT4Rk7ohnSo/s200/uniformbehaviour.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592230135269149186" border="0" /></a>share a little tidbit about yourself--something you wouldn’t tell your doctor but nothing you wouldn't tell your best friend's fifteen-year-old daughter. </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;">As briefly or as verbosely as you wish, briefly dissertate your thoughts on archetype. What do "hero" and "heroine" mean to you? And what about villains? What archetypes frequently appear in your own work, which ones do you like seeing in others' work, and which ones drive you completely up the wall with rage?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The floor is now yours--tell us where we can find you online, your buy links, anything else you might want to include, and if you wish, an excerpt (limited to sweet romance please ^^;). Also, you may include up to 3 book covers.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Hello. I’m Indigo Skye, a writer and photographer living in the American Southwest. I write erotica, as well as literary fiction, poetry, non-fiction- whatever pleases my Muses most!</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Right now, I’m working on several novels, a book of short fiction and poetry, and a novella. I just started writing my first screenp<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1P8yGiSNXniUUWmt78TW8nRv9QdE-6ZrUIOIDQnRGebiWKMDetns83cEyJ4N1wuH2iTK3mbvgZl87ILLH5dha6SR0Q7KwJLBCIMwvRYbZVU2l68IMkMbjNGPVjZDjBrMArrSsP4tVmcQ/s1600/HerCaptiveMuseFinalAre.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1P8yGiSNXniUUWmt78TW8nRv9QdE-6ZrUIOIDQnRGebiWKMDetns83cEyJ4N1wuH2iTK3mbvgZl87ILLH5dha6SR0Q7KwJLBCIMwvRYbZVU2l68IMkMbjNGPVjZDjBrMArrSsP4tVmcQ/s200/HerCaptiveMuseFinalAre.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592230556201784930" border="0" /></a>lay, and I’m very excited about that. A Luddite at heart, I pen all of my first drafts by hand… and I love to write in bed!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The concept of “hero” and “heroine” is one I like to play with in my fiction. I think it’s high time to re-define these roles. I prefer to create anti-heroes. I’ve always been drawn to the bad boy, the rebel, and my male characters reflect that. Brendan Delaney, the main character of <i style="">Her Captive Muse, </i>isn’t your typical Fabio fare. He’s not the type to rescue a damsel in distress and give her a happily-ever-after ending… which made him a lot of fun to write. His bad ideas and poor judgment get him into all sorts of interesting situations. When a character surprises me, I know he’ll keep my readers interested! Every day was a new adventure- I couldn’t wait to see what he was going to do next.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Rather than focusing on these staid archetypes, I focus on the individual characters that drive a story. I can’t stand the stereotypical characters that appear too often in romance novels- The Alpha Male, The Helpless Heroine. Please- this is the twenty-first century! My heroines are not helpless, virginal waifs waiting for Prince Charming to give their lives meaning and direction, but strong women seeking love –and lust- on their own terms.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Morgan Roan, the heroine of <i style="">Her Captive Muse, </i>is a perfect example. In some ways, she takes on the role of the villain/ anti-heroine as their relationship progresses. She’s controlling, egotistical, and arrogant. These traits helped to create the arc of the story, as their lust deepens into a dangerous obsession. Knowing my characters well is paramount to creating a great story. If I can get inside my characters’ heads, I can create a portrait of an individual with a story to tell- a character that jumps off the page, rather than waiting meekly for me to figure out a happy ending.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Happily ever after? 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line-height:150%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%;font-family:";font-size:100%;" >Author Bio: </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_UmShAHjfuBn1lScDfTi4ZeKR0tNXMXB28d7i7VYtoxpYIVqxywi5DKLxrtfbWeEyXcMXFhN9yVh4syAjSEoq-OoZVWJ2TTpqSaGy0YoULXzeLRTbAI2rwSlDkdq5Wti6iuhC7rQLZ-I/s1600/1872827119_e9115b3dbc_o%255B1%255D+%25282%2529.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 164px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_UmShAHjfuBn1lScDfTi4ZeKR0tNXMXB28d7i7VYtoxpYIVqxywi5DKLxrtfbWeEyXcMXFhN9yVh4syAjSEoq-OoZVWJ2TTpqSaGy0YoULXzeLRTbAI2rwSlDkdq5Wti6iuhC7rQLZ-I/s200/1872827119_e9115b3dbc_o%255B1%255D+%25282%2529.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592230707788879506" border="0" /></a></span><span style="line-height: 200%;font-family:";font-size:100%;" >Indigo Skye is a writer and photographer living in the American Southwest. Her first novel, <i style="">Her Captive Muse, </i>was released by Noble Romance Publishers in January. Her work has been widely published online. Last fall, her short story “True Confession” was published in the anthology <i style="">Uniform Behavior.</i> A full list of her published works is available on her blog, Indigo Skye: Ink and Art- </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://indigoskyeinkandart.blogspot.com/"><span style="line-height: 200%;font-family:";" >http://indigoskyeinkandart.blogspot.com</span></a></span><span style="line-height: 200%;font-family:";font-size:100%;" >. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 150%;font-family:";font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%;font-family:";font-size:100%;" >Contact Information for Indigo Skye- </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%;font-family:";font-size:100%;" >Email: </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="mailto:indigoskyeinkandart@gmail.com"><span style="line-height: 200%;font-family:";" >indigoskyeinkandart@gmail.com</span></a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%;font-family:";font-size:100%;" >Blog: </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://indigoskyeinkandart.blogspot.com/"><span style="line-height: 200%;font-family:";" >http://indigoskyeinkandart.blogspot.com</span></a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%;font-family:";font-size:100%;" >Twitter: </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/indigoinkandart"><span style="line-height: 200%;font-family:";" >http://www.twitter.com/indigoinkandart</span></a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%;font-family:";font-size:100%;" >Buy Links for <i style="">Her Captive Muse- </i></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=235"><span style="line-height: 200%;font-family:";" >https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=235</span></a></span><span style="line-height: 200%;font-family:";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004RYVKOU"><span style="line-height: 200%;font-family:";" >http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004RYVKOU</span></a></span><span style="line-height: 200%;font-family:";font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%;font-family:";font-size:100%;" >Book Blurb-</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" >When Brendan Delaney answered an ad for an artist's model, he was looking for an easy way to earn some extra cash. But Morgan Roan wanted more than just a model. Soon, Brendan finds himself caught in a web of deception and desire, lust and betrayal—her captive muse. What price pleasure? </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%;font-family:";font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in; line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%;font-family:";font-size:100%;" >Buy Link for <i style="">Uniform Behavior-</i></span></p> <span style="line-height: 150%;font-family:";font-size:100%;" ><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Uniform-Behaviour-ebook/dp/B004DI7PQM/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1299693197&sr=8-6"><span style="line-height: 150%;font-family:";" >http://www.amazon.com/Uniform-Behaviour-ebook/dp/B004DI7PQM/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1299693197&sr=8-6</span></a><br /><br />--<br /><br /></span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> 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<![endif]--> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>Chapter Two </b></span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>Beautiful </b></span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">Brendan rubbed his hands together to warm them. He sneaked an appraising look at Morgan's slender form as she led him to the kitchen. </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">He didn't have a chance in hell with her, so he looked anyway. <i>She's so far out of my league, she's in a different time zone. </i></span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">"You want a drink?" Morgan asked. She crossed the open-plan kitchen to the wet-bar and poured herself a glass of white wine. </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">"Scotch. Neat." She owed him a drink after today. Hell, maybe two or three. "Make it a double." </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">"You deserve it." Morgan poured a heroic portion into a heavy, cut-glass tumbler and brought it to him at the table. "Nice work." The swell of her breast brushed against Brendan's upper arm as she passed him the drink. </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i>Did she do that on purpose? </i></span><span style="font-size:100%;">He felt a rush of heat at the unexpected contact and tried to ignore the way it made him feel. <i>Probably just an accident. Don't get your hopes up. </i></span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">Something spicy and smoky simmered in a Crockpot on the counter. He rose and crossed the room to peek under the lid. </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">"That smells great." Brendan's stomach growled. He tried to remember the last time he'd eaten a real meal—something besides pizza and junk food—and couldn't recall. "You're a famous painter <i>and </i>a gourmet chef? I'm impressed." </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">Morgan laughed low. "I can't cook to save my life," she said. "Marie made this. She always leaves a hot dinner for me when I work late." </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">"Who's Marie—your girlfriend?" Brendan asked. He couldn't hide the tone of disappointment in his voice. <i>Figures. She's gorgeous and funny, smart and talented—of course she's a lesbian. </i></span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">Morgan shook her head no and laughed even harder. "Marie is my personal chef, not my girlfriend. Our relationship is strictly professional," Morgan said with an </span></p> <p class="Default" style="page-break-before: always;"><span style="font-size:100%;">amused look. "The first thing I did when I made it big was hire Marie. Sick of eating my own cooking." She grinned at Brendan. "I was living on ramen noodles when I was your age—broke all the time. When I <i>had </i>money, I spent it on booze and drugs—not groceries." She sipped her wine and watched him over the rim of her glass. "Now I can afford good food <i>and </i>good drugs." </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">"Good Scotch too." Brendan tossed back a swallow of his drink. <i>Pay me! Pay me, pay me, pay me so I can get the fuck out of here and go score. </i></span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">"Yes. Speaking of which—let me top you off." Morgan took his glass and filled it to the brim with the fiery elixir. Then—as if she'd read his mind—she excused herself to retrieve an expensive little Chanel bag from the next room. She rifled through her purse and pulled out three crisp, hundred-dollar bills. She leaned close to press the money into his hand. </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i>What's this shit? </i></span><span style="font-size:100%;">He eyed the money, his suspicions rising. He'd worked four hours—and she'd paid him for six. Why? </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">"You made a mistake. This is too much." He held out the extra bill and tried to hand it back. "Way too much." </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">"You look hungry." Morgan sounded matter of fact. "Want some soup?" </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">He nodded, but watched her warily. <i>Never trust found money. </i>That's what his mom always said. Brendan wondered what Morgan had up her sleeve. </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">Morgan dished up a huge bowl of green chili chicken stew and handed him a spoon. </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">"You didn't answer my question." Brendan took a bite and looked up at her, waiting for a reply. </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">"Yes, I did. I said, 'You look hungry.' Was I wrong?" She tilted her head and pierced him with an intense gaze. </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">"I'm doin' okay." Her predatory blue eyes made him shift in his chair. <i>She knows all my secrets. </i></span></p> <p class="Default" style="page-break-before: always;"><span style="font-size:100%;">"You look fucking strung out—like your last decent meal was weeks ago. I remember the way it feels—running on empty." She offered a distant smile. "Take the money. You need it a hell of a lot more than I do." </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">"I think you should take the extra cash and invest in a heater for your fucking studio." Brendan tried to hand the money back again. </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">She waved it away. "It's yours. I insist." </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">Brendan sighed and pocketed the cash. Something about the whole exchange made him feel dirty, but she was right. He <i>was </i>hungry—too hungry to care. He shrugged off his guilty conscience and attacked the stew with gusto. "Fine—<i>I'll </i>buy a heater. I almost froze my balls off today." </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">Morgan laughed. "Poor baby." She stroked his arm and gave him a warm smile. She watched him eat for a long moment. "Don't worry. You'll be nice and toasty next time. I'll make sure of it. Can you come back tomorrow at noon? I'd like a longer session, if you're up for it." </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">"I'll still be in bed." Brendan saw her frown and took another bite of the spicy chicken stew. </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">"One-thirty?" </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">"Make it three. I'm going out tonight—won't be home until late. Gotta make sure I get my beauty sleep." He chuckled and finished the soup. </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">Morgan reached for his bowl. Their fingertips touched for the briefest moment—just long enough for both to feel the spark of desire. Or, at least Brendan felt it. <i>She </i>probably didn't feel a thing. </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">"Seconds?" she asked. </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">"Please." He watched as she filled his bowl with soup and brought it to him at the table. She moved with the calm and studied grace of a ballet dancer. When she set the bowl before him, she let one hand linger on his shoulder for a moment. Brendan relished her nearness. He spooned up a bite, savoring the tender, smoky chicken. "Thank you. This is delicious." </span></p> <p class="Default" style="page-break-before: always;"><span style="font-size:100%;">"Come over whenever you're ready. I'll be in the studio all day." She ran her fingers through his hair. "You'll inspire my greatest painting yet. I can feel it. The work's developing so fast." Morgan gazed past him, a far-off look in her eyes. </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">She did that all the time. Got lost in her thoughts, in some other world where Brendan didn't exist—only Morgan's <i>idea </i>of him. He watched her blue eyes go cold and distant. It seemed as if Morgan was seeing only her <i>vision </i>of him, superimposed over the real Brendan eating a bowl of soup in her kitchen. It felt spooky—like being turned invisible against his will. <i>Is this the way a bad poem feels when I erase it? </i></span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">While she dwelled in some distant realm, Brendan took the opportunity to look at her. <i>Really </i>look at her. He couldn't bear to meet her strange, unseeing eyes, so he stared at her hands. Strong, capable hands with elegant, long fingers—a little rough—streaked with gold and ochre and cerulean. <i>They are beautiful hands, artists' hands—imbued with a certain magic. </i></span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">Brendan re-assessed her and discovered Morgan Roan was a beautiful woman. The revelation shocked him; he hadn't noticed her looks until now. He'd been more concerned with avoiding frostbite and staving off his hangover. After a solid meal and a big knock of Scotch, he saw the artist with a kinder eye. </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">Morgan was a cool, lethal blonde with indigo eyes and porcelain skin. He wanted to run his fingers through her silky, moon-milk blonde hair, which she wore up in a messy bun. <i>What would it look like spread across a pillow? </i>He had a sudden urge to write a poem about her, an itch he couldn't wait to scratch. </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">She took her hair down with a sigh of pleasure. Her face was beautiful—delicate and fierce—framed by long, pale hair streaked with amethyst and violet paint. She finished her glass of wine and went to the bar to pour another. </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">"You did well today, Brendan." </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">"You're not making it easy. I think I got frostbite of the prick." </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">Morgan laughed. Her snowy cheeks flushed rose pink. "Now, <i>that </i>would be a crying shame. I'm so sorry. Let me make it up to you." She placed a slender hand on his </span></p> <p class="Default" style="page-break-before: always;"><span style="font-size:100%;">shoulder and leaned in close. She stroked his jaw with one cool finger and whispered in his ear. "Still cold?" </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i>What the fuck? </i></span><span style="font-size:100%;">He pulled away and gave her a questioning look. "A little." </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">"Come into the library. There's a fire. Warmest room in the house." </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">Before Brendan could protest, Morgan was leading him through the house's labyrinth of corridors. He followed her into a cozy library with a roaring fire in the grate. She gestured for him to take a seat in one of the overstuffed chairs before the hearth. He sank down into the buttery suede and looked around. The room was alive with books. Morgan took a slim volume from one of the shelves near the fireplace and handed it to him. Brendan studied the cover—an old, hardbound copy of <i>Alice in Wonderland. </i></span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">"This was my favorite book when I was a little girl," she said with a smile. </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">"I'm too old for bedtime stories." Brendan started to hand the book back. </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">"Open it," she said. He rolled his eyes. <i>What game is she playing at now? </i></span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">Deciding to humor her, he opened the book. "Holy . . . ." <i>Shit! </i>The damn thing was hollowed out inside, and packed full of pot and rolling papers and pills and all kinds of other goodies. His mouth watered at the sight of white powder—balloons and glassine envelopes packed full of blow, H. <i>Damn—Christmas came early this year. </i></span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">"Roll us a joint, will you?" Morgan topped off their drinks. </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">"I'd love to." He surveyed the array of pills and powders with greedy eyes. </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">"Fabulous. I'm going to wash up. I won't be long." Morgan turned and walked out of the room, leaving him alone with her stash. </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">He couldn't believe she'd be stupid enough to trust him. It'd be so easy to clean her out and make a run for it. His hands shook, and sweat peppered his brow. <i>Goddamn, I want to get high. Tap up a nice fat vein, cook it up right here in front of the fire. Fill a needle and shoot up right here in front of the fire. </i></span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">Something inside Brendan wouldn't let him cut and run. <i>I don't want to burn this bridge—not yet. </i>He'd roll a joint and wait for Morgan's return. </span></p> <p class="Default" style="page-break-before: always;"><span style="font-size:100%;">When Morgan reappeared, Brendan saw she had taken the time to shower and change. She'd washed most of the paint out of her hair, but a few stubborn streaks of violet and rose still stained her pale locks. Clad in a scanty, blue sheath, she moved across the room with leonine grace. The silk clung to her slight curves, drawing his eyes to her perfect breasts. As Morgan brushed past him, Brendan smelled sandalwood and cedar. Musk. Sweet smoke. She lit the joint. Passed it to Brendan. Poured him another drink, playing hostess. She handed him the tumbler of Scotch and sat at his feet on the hearth rug, staring into the flames. </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">Brendan passed her the jay. She took a toke and leaned against him, resting her head against his thigh. They smoked in silence for a few moments. He relished in her proximity. </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">"You're beautiful, you know." Her voice was low and confidential, rich with sweet smoke. "Anybody ever tell you that? Not that you'd believe it." </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">"No. You're stoned." He laughed at the idea. <i>Beautiful? I'm just a club rat—a fucking junkie</i>. Nothing but a street kid with three hundred bucks in his pocket. Chump change to her—but more money than he'd seen in months. The fact she saw something she liked in his features only made him feel worse. He couldn't wait to go score some skank and get low. </span></p> <p class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;">Every time Brendan looked in the mirror, he hated himself more. Not just for what he'd allowed himself to become, but for who he used to be. A kid with big dreams. When he was ten years old, Brendan wanted to be a pitcher for the New York Yankees. By the time he was twelve, he'd decided a career as an astronaut was what he desired. When he was thirteen, he'd harbored dreams of becoming a big-time artist like Morgan or a famous writer. But by the time he was fifteen he was lost. Stealing cars. Fucking up. Screwing and smoking and snorting whatever he could get his hands on. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><span style="line-height: 150%;">Beautiful? Hell—who's she kidding? I'm just a small-time hood with a big, fat monkey on my back.</span></i></span></p><span style="font-size:100%;"> --<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Thanks so much for stopping by, Indigo! To follow the rest of the tour:</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://www.cheriedesues2.com/noble-blog-tour.html"><span style="font-size:100%;"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 110px; height: 110px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsyFzAO-VDzdLYHUU6SoS1E7nOCTEOBarQcsgDQxoI9WKngNbIG3IP8U4tTVbOCpaHG4TAfKqFdDGW9dDYOR1ponNZ49mxowRil7_odUenklTUPh_z6MFpv1eICXbFvMOCPIVgM4HtdG0/s200/NobleButtonBlogTour3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592225723362734146" border="0" /></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p>Mindy MacKayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04291851417551468618noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502077383752455581.post-88658186148360035112011-04-05T15:00:00.000-07:002011-04-05T15:32:40.738-07:00NRABT First Guest - JS WayneBorn in Amarillo, Texas, J.S. Wayne has lived, worked, or traveled in approximately two thirds of the North American continent and has amassed a resume that could kindly be described as “eclectic.” He currently resides in the Texas Panhandle with his wife, a vicious attack cat, and a terrier puppy who believes socks are a threat to national security. In his laughably sparse spare time, he enjoys reading, scary movies, strategy games, and collecting obsolete weapons. His professional writing credits include two current novels, <i>Shadowphoenix: Requiem</i> and <i>Wail</i>; a short story, “Angels Would Fall,” which has been contracted by Noble Romance Publishing and is due out April 18th; and a host of poetry and work-in-progress novels and short stories, including a nascent graphic novel with artist extraordinaire Bill Fish, who created the covers for J.S.’s first two novels, his website, and took the photos J.S. uses for various publicity needs. He maintains a home page at <u><span style="color:blue;"><a href="http://www.wix.com/jswaynesite/herebemonsters"><span style="color:blue;">www.wix.com/jswaynesite/herebemonsters</span></a></span></u> and a blog at <u><span style="color:blue;"><a href="http://www.jswayne.wordpress.com/"><span style="color:blue;">www.jswayne.wordpress.com</span></a></span></u>. <p class="MsoNormal"><i>So, first things first: introduce yourself. Name, genre, a bit about what you write, and maybe share a little tidbit about yourself--something you wouldn’t tell your doctor but nothing you wouldn't tell your best friend's fifteen-year-old daughter. </i></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Hi, Mindy!<span style=""> </span>It's great to be here.<span style=""> </span>My name is J.S. Wayne.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I write erotic romance, urban fantasy and supernatural horror.<span style=""> </span>My favored characters are angels and demons, vampires, and even a banshee!<span style=""> </span>I like to write what I'd like to see on the shelves, but do it in a way that puts my own "stamp" on it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Hmm, a tidbit.<span style=""> </span>I have the perfect one.<span style=""> </span>When I was in 10th grade, I tried out for the lead in the school production of "Dracula."<span style=""> </span>Because I couldn't do a proper Eastern European accent, I didn't get the part.<span style=""> </span>My acting chops, sadly, have NOT improved with time, although I do love to make my friends laugh with bad impressions.<span style=""> </span>(laughs)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>As briefly or as verbosely as you wish, briefly dissertate your thoughts on archetype. What do "hero" and "heroine" mean to you? And what about villains? What archetypes frequently appear in your own work, which ones do you like seeing in others' work, and which ones drive you completely up the wall with rage?</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I like fully realized characters, no matter what side of the Jedi-Sith Index they fall on.<span style=""> </span>I want to see a character who is believable, no matter what he's doing, because he seems fully drawn out.<span style=""> </span>The antihero and the villain who believe that they are doing the right thing<span style=""> </span>have always struck a unique chord with me.<span style=""> </span>As far as women, I have NO patience for simpering airheads; an overdose of "tittering twit" in a story will make me lay it down faster than anything else.<span style=""> </span>If I ever do use a female character who's dumber than a brick or a hero who can carry his severed right arm in his teeth while blasting away with perfect accuracy with a shotgun in his left hand, I assure you I'm doing it as an exercise in sarcasm.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>The floor is now yours--tell us where we can find you online, your buy links, anything else you might want to include, and if you wish, an excerpt (limited to sweet romance please ^^;). Also, you may include up to 3 book covers.</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I can be found at www.jswayne.wordpress.com, which is my blog and the hub for nearly everything else I do online; http://www.wix.com/jswaynesite/herebemonsters, my homepage; at www.webpoet.org and writing.com, both of which are wonderful sites and which I am active member of; on Twitter @jswayne702; and on Facebook.<span style=""> </span>Do please feel free to stop by any or all of these and drop me a line!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">My first novel, an urban fantasy entitled Shadowphoenix: Requiem, can be found at www.lulu.com or from my homepage; my second novel, Wail, is currently going through the submissions process at several agencies; and my first erotic romance short story, "Angels Would Fall," is due for release on April 18th from Noble Romance.<a><span style=""> </span></a><span style=""><a href="http://justineelyot.wordpress.com/"><br /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://justineelyot.wordpress.com/"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 110px; height: 110px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zg6haNKZL7E/TZqQObZB8OI/AAAAAAAAAkU/4FLTHBq68Yo/s1600/NobleButtonBlogTour3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://justineelyot.wordpress.com/"><br /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="">Thanks so much for joining us, JS!<br /></span></p>Mindy MacKayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04291851417551468618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502077383752455581.post-39903985893555977372011-03-20T13:51:00.000-07:002011-03-20T13:54:40.116-07:00All Things Romantic Suspense: Chris Redding<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMHMIiiUHOsGtPHVo7W834zsp5tHdMH-Bi-GK1Thux3vcbZnMyP4C0rZPexlQUfGCW576t01XiE2SIPf1gf2CFYq0IlsC-AeectS9NBEyAeW4J-y1gQ6AbVNxiM6JVnLQkmYr03xDxv9M/s1600/Incendiary+front.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMHMIiiUHOsGtPHVo7W834zsp5tHdMH-Bi-GK1Thux3vcbZnMyP4C0rZPexlQUfGCW576t01XiE2SIPf1gf2CFYq0IlsC-AeectS9NBEyAeW4J-y1gQ6AbVNxiM6JVnLQkmYr03xDxv9M/s200/Incendiary+front.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586268392928694098" border="0" /></a><br />Hey there! Today I've got guest interviewee Chris Redding, here to talk about Incendiary and the joys of killing people on paper. 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Please introduce yourself, tell us an interesting fact about you, and if you were an animal, what would it be?</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">Hello, I’m Chris Redding author of romantic suspense and a paranormal romantic suspense.<span style=""> </span>I once interviewed to drive the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile.<span style=""> </span>If I were an animal, I’d be a house cat.<span style=""> </span>I would eat and sleep whenever I wanted. Wherever I wanted. That appeals to me.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">2.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Tell us a bit about your book--something you wouldn't find in the blurb. </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">The heroine has a son and he’s a compilation of my two sons at that age. </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">3.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>What was your inspiration for this story?</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">Years ago, someone came to me with an idea. When there is a series of arsons, the police take pictures of the crowd to see if there is someone who has been at all of them. Some arsonists like to return to the scene of the crime.<span style=""> </span>The idea was what if they arsonist is the photographer. So my brain took it further. What if is it was someone who actually fought fires? </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">4.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Do you consider yourself a plotter or a pantser?</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">Panster. I once outlined a book and never wrote it. Part of the joy of writing is discovering where the story is going. I have a vague idea how it will end, but not really what the path taken will be.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">5.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>When diving into a new work, how much research do you do and how do you go about doing it?</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">It depends on the subject of the book For Incendiary I had my best research in house. My husband is a volunteer firefighter so I was able to pick his brain about what it was like inside a burning building. <span style=""> </span>Some stories don’t need as much research or I’ve done the research for previous books. In terms of actually researching, if I can talk to a human I will.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">6.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>If you could be one character from your book, who would it be and why?</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">Chelsea. She is so sure about what is right and wrong. She isn’t afraid of much either.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">7.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>And if you had to be stuck in an elevator for 42 hours with one of your characters…?</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">Well, Jake of course. Enough said.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">8.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>What was the hardest part of writing this book?</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">I don’t know that there was one. I really enjoyed the whole process.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">9.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Why romantic suspense? Do you write any other subgenres of romance? I like to kill people on paper. I’ve tried writing other things, but a dead body always seems to show up.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">10.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>What books have most influenced your writing or your outlook on life in general?</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">In terms of writing, Stephen King’s On Writing. In terms of life, Eckhardt Tolle’s The Power of Now.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">11.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Quick! The Departed, Shutter Island, or Inception? Inception. Didn’t see the other two.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">12.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Anything I didn't ask you about that you want to shout out to the world?</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">Buy my book!</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">Here’s where you can find me on the web:</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">www.chrisreddingauthor.com</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">http://chrisredddingauthor.blogspot.com</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">www.facebook.com/chrisreddingauthor</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">www.twitter.com/chrisredding</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:10pt;color:black;" >Chelsea James, captain of her local first aid squad, is trying to keep the organization afloat, but someone is sabotaging her. The squad is her father’s legacy and she feels responsible to keep it going.<br /><br />Jake Sweeney, back in town after a decade, is investigating the arsons he was accused of long ago. When they start again Chelsea and Jake must join forces to defeat their mutual enemy.<br /><br />Jake would like to rekindle what they had before he left town, but his departure left Chelsea hurt and bewildered. To begin again, she must learn to trust him.<br /><br />Her life could depend on it.</span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Buy button: http://www.amazon.com/Incendiary-ebook/dp/B004HKIOHA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1300648793&sr=1-2</p>Mindy MacKayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04291851417551468618noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502077383752455581.post-45924254603018209162011-03-12T17:14:00.001-08:002011-03-12T17:16:46.209-08:00All things Romantic Suspense - Rachel Brimble<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3m5LT5788VYS-ByWqgbAq1Fsayzm1X40oOfrGq-rXtao4x1pl-hKy3NRKBmC2FHkGx9AoS4giNb49wUaONN3iq4NUJnYHxUxanRkOzUap0BjJwfoPGMN1z7s2XbZ9_ghvE2e9EEwZnRk/s1600/ReluctantWitness_w1518_680.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 125px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3m5LT5788VYS-ByWqgbAq1Fsayzm1X40oOfrGq-rXtao4x1pl-hKy3NRKBmC2FHkGx9AoS4giNb49wUaONN3iq4NUJnYHxUxanRkOzUap0BjJwfoPGMN1z7s2XbZ9_ghvE2e9EEwZnRk/s200/ReluctantWitness_w1518_680.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583367165275909122" border="0" /></a><br />Hey everyone! 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Please introduce yourself, tell us an interesting fact about you, and if you were an animal, what would it be?</li></ol> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Hi, my name is Rachel Brimble and I am a romance writer who writes across the genre from contemporary romance to historical to comedy. Interesting fact – I was rescued by helicopter from the French floods last year. If I was an animal, I would be a squirrel. Always rushing around and always busy, busy, busy!</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <ol style="margin-top: 0in;" start="2" type="1"><li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Tell us a bit about your book--something you wouldn't find in the blurb.</li></ol> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">The heroine’s conflict keeping her from being the hero was inspired by a real life killing of a student by an overzealous cop.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <ol style="margin-top: 0in;" start="3" type="1"><li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">What was your inspiration for this story?</li></ol> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">LOL! See question 2 – although the story itself was inspired by another news story where an elderly man was killed in a close-knit community. It made me think what a ripple effect his death would have on people and I wanted to explore that.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <ol style="margin-top: 0in;" start="4" type="1"><li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Do you consider yourself a plotter or a pantser?</li></ol> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">I used to be a plotter but for the last two books, I am becoming more of a combination. I write a synopsis and character sheets and then basically write a ‘dirty’ draft without stopping. The hard work comes in the revision…</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <ol style="margin-top: 0in;" start="5" type="1"><li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">When diving into a new work, how much research do you do and how do you go about doing it?</li></ol> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">I tend to research, as and when I need to – when I write my contemporaries, my research is very much based in my own experiences. For my historicals, things get a little more complicated and required a lot of hours reading!</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <ol style="margin-top: 0in;" start="6" type="1"><li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">If you could be one character from your book, who would it be and why?</li></ol> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Julia (the heroine) – she is feisty and independent yet kind and loving. Most of all, she gets to kiss Daniel, who is absolutely delicious!<br /> <br /> </p> <ol style="margin-top: 0in;" start="7" type="1"><li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">And if you had to be stuck in an elevator for 42 hours with one of your characters…?</li></ol> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Daniel – see question 6 ; )</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <ol style="margin-top: 0in;" start="8" type="1"><li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">What was the hardest part of writing this book?</li></ol> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">The plotting – as it is with each book I write. I do not find plotting easy and often go back and rewrite a lot of the books in the second and third drafts. With romantic suspense, the plotting is even more intense and can become very complex. I use a lot of charts and post-it notes!</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <ol style="margin-top: 0in;" start="9" type="1"><li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Why romantic suspense? Do you write any other subgenres of romance?</li></ol> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Romantic suspense is my favourite genre to read so became the first books I wrote – however, since then I have moved on to write contemporary, Victorian historical and comedy. I love them all but do intend to write another romantic suspense after the straight contemporary I am writing right now.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <ol style="margin-top: 0in;" start="10" type="1"><li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">What books have most influenced your writing or your outlook on life in general?</li></ol> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">All of Jodi Picoult’s books influenced my writing and outlook on life – I think she is a master at making the reader think about moral dilemmas. Even though I don’t write those types of books, I do like making my readers think about what they would do in the heroine’s or hero’s situation.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <ol style="margin-top: 0in;" start="11" type="1"><li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Quick! The Departed, Shutter Island, or Inception?</li></ol> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Eek, The Departed!</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <ol style="margin-top: 0in;" start="12" type="1"><li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Anything I didn't ask you about that you want to shout out to the world?</li></ol> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Please come visit me at my website, blog and Twitter sites – I have author guests on my blog every Tuesday and Thursday with lots of opportunity to win free books. 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<![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">Reluctant Witness - Blurb<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br />Professional singer Julia Kershaw is leaving town and moving on with her life. She desperately needs an escape from her mother’s grief over the loss of Julia’s brother – shot and killed by an overzealous cop – and an ex-boyfriend who refuses to accept it’s over.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">But when she becomes the sole witness to the murder of a man she has known all her life, how can she leave without helping to find his killer? But how can she work with a cop after everything the police have put her family through?<br /> <br /> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">When Detective Inspector Daniel Conway is removed from the city chaos he thrives on, and sent to a sleepy seaside town, the last thing he expects is a murder case.<span style=""> </span>With an impeccable record that he intends to keep that way, for<span style=""> </span>both personal and professional reasons, he refuses to allow his very beautiful, sexy – and secretive to walk away from the case. Or him.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Buy Link:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=89_78&products_id=1011">http://thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=89_78&products_id=1011</a></p>Mindy MacKayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04291851417551468618noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502077383752455581.post-16026884555153610652011-03-05T19:09:00.001-08:002011-03-05T19:13:13.511-08:00All Things Romantic Suspense: Sarah BallanceSo. Has this been a chaotic few weeks or what? For me? Yes. Anyway. 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<w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">1.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Howdy! Please introduce yourself, tell us an interesting fact about you, and if you were an animal, what would it be?</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Howdy?<span style=""> </span>Oh, yum, that sounds like cowboy talk to me!<span style=""> </span>Oh, *ahem,* I'm Sarah and I like cowboys (my hubby wears cowboy boots – I'm totally talking about him).<span style=""> </span>I started writing fiction a couple of years ago after I told someone I couldn't do it, and my first novel was picked up by the first publisher I queried.<span style=""> </span>I still don't know how that happened, but I'll take it.<span style=""> </span>*grin*<span style=""> </span>My hubby and I have been married for 13 "long, long" years (says him) and we have six adorable children – five on purpose, with the sixth getting it out there early that she doesn't listen.<span style=""> </span>(She totally ignored my tubal ligation and got here anyway.)<span style=""> </span>On that note, I have to say if I was an animal I'd be a lizard.<span style=""> </span>That's what my husband called me for "regrowing missing body parts."</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">2.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Tell us a bit about your book--something you wouldn't find in the blurb.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">There's almost nothing about the plot I can reveal outside of the blurb that won't be a spoiler, LOL.<span style=""> </span>But I will say the setting of RUN TO YOU is home to me.<span style=""> </span>We don't live on the islands, but we can hop in the boat and be there in minutes.<span style=""> </span>My H and I spent a lot of time out there when we were dating, and it means a lot to have so many great compliments from reviewers on the "feel" of the beach in the book because it is so special to me.<span style=""> </span>One reviewer referred to my description as "atmospheric" – I <i style="">love</i> that!<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">3.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>What was your inspiration for this story?</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">I actually wrote a blog post about this very topic (you can read it <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/851869-real-life-romance-and-murder-the-story-behind-run-to-you">here</a>).<span style=""> </span>The short version is this:<span style=""> </span>My H and I went for a walk on the beach.<span style=""> </span>It was pitch black and we were on the edge of a storm – the wind kicking, sand blasting, waves boiling, foam flying.<span style=""> </span>I was TERRIFIED.<span style=""> </span>I just KNEW someone could walk up behind us and kill us and we'd never hear them coming.<span style=""> </span>That fear – still tangible two years later – is what brought the story to life.<span style=""> </span>As afraid as I was at the time, looking back on it makes it downright hilarious. </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">4.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Do you consider yourself a plotter or a pantser?</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">I probably answer this question differently every time I'm asked it, LOL, because I don't know how to define myself.<span style=""> </span>I start with a 5-10 sentence summary of I think will happen, and usually by the end of the first chapter I've changed it twice.<span style=""> </span>I definitely lean toward panster, but I at least try to start with a plot.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">5.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>When diving into a new work, how much research do you do and how do you go about doing it?</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">My first two books required very little research – just a random Google now and then.<span style=""> </span>I'm working on one now where I was so clueless I didn't even know what to Google, so I hit my H up for preliminary information.<span style=""> </span>Frankly, I'm shocked we're still married after that experience.<span style=""> </span>(You can read about it <a href="http://lovesbooksandmore.blogspot.com/2011/01/guest-author-day-with-sarah-balance.html?zx=d0211b875e544604">here</a>).<span style=""> </span>Another WIP – currently on hold until I finish the marriage killing ms – comes from local knowledge of history, but I found a fantastic book on ebay to help with the details.<span style=""> </span>There was only one and it was marked down that day.<span style=""> </span>Talk about perfect timing!</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">6.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>If you could be one character from your book, who would it be and why?</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">I'd have to choose Mattie from RUN TO YOU.<span style=""> </span>She was a bit lost in a world she didn't love, and when she meets Wyatt she finds herself at peace.<span style=""> </span>It's unexpected and not a perfect fit, but that feeling is just amazing.<span style=""> </span>Many heroines lose their innocence … Mattie FINDS hers.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">7.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>And if you had to be stuck in an elevator for 42 hours with one of your characters…?</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Readers everywhere will throw sharp, pointy objects at their computers, but I HAVE to say Mattie's BFF Hutch.<span style=""> </span>He's a total pig, but he's hilarious.<span style=""> </span>I think it would be impossible to be bored around him, so he's my top pick for elevator companion.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">8.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>What was the hardest part of writing this book?</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">Keeping my facts legit.<span style=""> </span>I wanted the pieces to fit, of course, but wanted them to do so with good sense and accuracy.<span style=""> </span>I'm sort of easing into those waters one toe at a time.<span style=""> </span>;c)</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">9.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Why romantic suspense? Do you write any other subgenres of romance?</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">My first book, DOWN IN FLAMES, was a contemporary romance.<span style=""> </span>When I started it, it was just to prove a point to myself and I had no idea it would take me anywhere (least of all to publication).<span style=""> </span>I made the switch to romantic suspense because I love the elements of risk and danger.<span style=""> </span>I like writing the bad guy, and I'm a total math brain. I LOVE math, so weaving the clues into the plot just entertains me to no end.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">10.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>What books have most influenced your writing or your outlook on life in general?</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">I grabbed CRIME SCENE AT CARDWELL RANCH (B.J. Daniels, Harlequin Intrigue) as a free download and it changed my life.<span style=""> </span>That book made me fall in love with romantic suspense.<span style=""> </span>I think the shorter length was less intimating to me as a wanna-be suspense writer than those big hardcovers in the book stores, and B.J. Daniels is just fantastic.<span style=""> </span>That book was my turning point.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">11.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Quick! The Departed, Shutter Island, or Inception?</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Let me duck under a table, because I don't know what you're talking about and I suspect that is the WRONG answer.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">12.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Anything I didn't ask you about that you want to shout out to the world?</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Interesting factoid about RUN TO YOU.<span style=""> </span>Not long after I finished editing the story, the exact crime happened on a local beach.<span style=""> </span>EVERY detail was the same but one:<span style=""> </span>the real life victim survived.<span style=""> </span>Considering I've never known that to happen around here EVER, it freaked me out to say the least.<span style=""> </span>I even saved the link to the news story – gruesome keepsake, I admit, but definitely one for the books.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Thanks so much for having me here today.<span style=""> </span>You asked quite a few questions I've never been asked before.<span style=""> </span>MUCH FUN!<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="">RUN TO YOU BLURB:<span style=""> </span></span><span style="">Mattie James can't pinpoint exactly when she lost control of her life, but the moment she decided to take it back made the front page of the local paper. Desperate to dodge the fallout— and the tabloids—she jumps at the chance to spend an off-season week in a tiny resort community by the sea. Making the trip with her ex-lover is a complication she can live with; coming face to face with a dead woman is not.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="">The last thing Sheriff Wyatt Reed expected to find on the storm-ravaged beach was a beautiful blonde with a jealous sidekick, but one look at Mattie left him wanting more. Their first date takes an ominous turn when he gets the call that a woman was found murdered. With a killer on the loose and a troubling lack of suspects or motive, Wyatt has to put his feelings aside to focus on the case. But his vow not to become personally involved is shattered when he discovers Mattie's life is on the line, and this time the truth leaves her with a deadly choice . . . and nowhere to run.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">BUY LINKS:<span style=""> </span><a href="https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=214">Multiple e-formats</a> or <a href="http://www.novelrank.com/asin/B004GXB0IS">Kindle</a> <u><span style="color:blue;"></span></u></p>Mindy MacKayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04291851417551468618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502077383752455581.post-27860697748236639212011-02-25T17:53:00.000-08:002011-02-25T18:00:02.900-08:00All Things Romantic Suspense: Leanne Dyck<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLsfjkqPYPs7QBRYVD4t7atRkzUzu69uTgmBg1gaxzw8WYAHEGqGZsIL6gJKPumTRrlEcYEkbwlCWT0rZ-xuXKr-Nel1zpKJOD6JzINCZ0JTlVxNEPrx_ZAqRzrS0pCEe6lA_vPYfNT0/s1600/TSC_LG.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLsfjkqPYPs7QBRYVD4t7atRkzUzu69uTgmBg1gaxzw8WYAHEGqGZsIL6gJKPumTRrlEcYEkbwlCWT0rZ-xuXKr-Nel1zpKJOD6JzINCZ0JTlVxNEPrx_ZAqRzrS0pCEe6lA_vPYfNT0/s200/TSC_LG.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577811215769799922" border="0" /></a><br />Hey everyone! Today, a few hours off schedule but today nonetheless, we welcome fabulous Canadian author Leanne Dyck, here to talk about The Sweater Curse and her short story contest. Stop by, leave a comment, and be sure to enter her contest!<br /><br />Take it away, Leanne!<br /><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> <w:word11kerningpairs/> <w:cachedcolbalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathpr> 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font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">1.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Howdy! Please introduce yourself, tell us an interesting fact about you, and if you were an animal, what would it be?</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">Hi Mindy,</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">Greetings from sunny Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">Writing is a solitary sport, but I’m a team player. I bat for the Crime Writers of Canada, kick for the Victoria Writers Society and am in goal for the Mayne Island Writers’ Group.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">When I’m not writing I’m knitting. I was a knitwear designer for approximately nine years. In fact, I changed careers the day The Sweater Curse was published.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">2.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Tell us a bit about your book--something you wouldn't find in the blurb.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">Something you won’t find in the blurb, eh? Well, how about this. The Sweater Curse could serve as your introduction to the rich Icelandic-Canadian culture.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">3.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>What was your inspiration for this story?</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">Most of my stories are inspired by my life—The Sweater Curse is no exception.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">4.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Do you consider yourself a plotter or a pantser?</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">I’m a very flexible plotter.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">5.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>When diving into a new work, how much research do you do and how do you go about doing it?</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">I’m prepared to do as much, or as little research as required.<span style=""> </span>Research resources that I’ve used include web-based material, books and friends and family.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">The Sweater Curse required that I do some research on Icelandic folklore. I found Nelson S. Gerrard’s book <i>The Icelandic Heritage </i>very helpful. </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">6.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>If you could be one character from your book, who would it be and why?</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">I feel I have most in common with the lead character Gwen Bjarnson.<span style=""> </span>Why would I want to be her?<span style=""> </span>Well, let’s see she’s a lot better looking, has a more affluent background and is far younger than I am.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">7.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>And if you had to be stuck in an elevator for 42 hours with one of your characters…?</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">Definitely, I would choose Jaron Cardew—my perfect man. He’d entertain me while keeping me claim and would ensure that we were rescued.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">8.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>What was the hardest part of writing this book?</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">Writing the synopsis.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">9.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Why romantic suspense? Do you write any other subgenres of romance?</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">The Sweater Curse is a lower case ‘r’ romance, upper case ‘s’ suspense. </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">Currently, I’m writing a young adult adventure that has elements of romance.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">10.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>What books have most influenced your writing or your outlook on life in general?</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">One book in particular gave me hope when I had run dry.<span style=""> </span>Joline Godfrey’s <i>Our Wildest Dreams:<span style=""> </span>Women Entrepreneurs Making Money, Having Fun, Doing Good</i></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;"><i> </i></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">I’m inspired, encouraged and informed by my fellow authors. Two writing books that have been especially helpful are Stephen King’s <i>On Writing </i>and Nancy Lamb’s <i>The Art and Craft of Storytelling</i>.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">11.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Quick! The Departed, Shutter Island, or Inception?</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">Shutter Island </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">12.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Anything I didn't ask you about that you want to shout out to the world?</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""> </span>I’m running a short story contest </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">Here’s the scope…</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">Write a short story (500 words or less) about your favourite sweater. Send entries to <a href="mailto:leanne@oknitting.com">leanne@oknitting.com</a> The story will be published on the popular Sweater Curse blog (over 5, 000 page views since October, 2010). One lucky contributor will win a copy of the thriller The Sweater Curse. Enter today. Contest ends on March 20, 2011 Visit <a href="http://sweatercursed.blogspot.com/">http://sweatercursed.blogspot.com</a> for details.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">Blurb:<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">Aspiring knitwear designer Gwen Bjarnson is stuck in Purgatory. To escape, she must re-examine her life, journey though her past and right a wrong.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">But which wrong?</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">Young and in love, she works to establish her career, except fate has different plans. One rash act and she loses everything. Never resting, always seeking, and yearning for what she can no longer have, Gwen faces the truth:<span style=""> </span>if she remains, others are destined to die.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">How will she solve the mystery before it is too late?</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">Blog:<span style=""> </span><a href="http://sweatercursed.blogstop.com/">http://sweatercursed.blogstop.com</a></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">Website:<span style=""> </span><a href="http://www.oknitting.com/">www.oknitting.com</a></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">Buy Links:</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">Amazon:<span style=""> </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Sweater-Curse-ebook/dp/B004IPPJQ8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AZC9TZ4UC9CFC&s=merchant-items&qid=1295645546&sr=1-1">http://www.amazon.com/The-Sweater-Curse-ebook/dp/B004IPPJQ8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AZC9TZ4UC9CFC&s=merchant-items&qid=1295645546&sr=1-1</a></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">Decadent Publishing: <a href="http://www.decadentpublishing.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=The+Sweater+Curse&osCsid=t3kaqh806hb9bgc1kg566kn80">http://www.decadentpublishing.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=The+Sweater+Curse&osCsid=t3kaqh806hb9bgc1kg566kn80</a></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; line-height: normal;">Smashwords:<span style=""> </span><a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/36891">http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/36891</a></p>Mindy MacKayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04291851417551468618noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502077383752455581.post-83013577969601076602011-02-17T18:35:00.000-08:002011-02-17T18:52:30.801-08:00All Things Romantic Suspense: Bri Clark<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9dzLQLRrW6VxqP5p9-WR2u-EHthx2jezHgXwz5QCq76ALeQ4N0WYLmZsq076x1rrtGpgeMAHS53McHqnae1JjSQGgoTa-0feJGakv_uDvK7lwurCUl9o8h6oqsuE12-QMZ96PszK4XXk/s1600/The+Familial+Witch+300+x+480.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 125px; height: 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mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 24pt 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Hokeydokes. So. Today we welcome Bri Clark, who's here to entertain us with her musings on romantic suspense, noir, and her compelling (and possibly neverending) story. Take it away, Bri.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 24pt 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 24pt 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Howdy! Please introduce yourself, tell us an interesting fact about you, and if you were an animal, what would it be? Hello thanks for having me this is my official bio….<b><i style=""><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12pt;" > <span style="font-size:100%;">Bri Clark is a real example of redemption and renewal. Growing penniless in the South, Bri learned street smarts while caring for her brother in a broken home. She watched her mother work several jobs to care for their small family. Once her brother could fend for himself, Bri moved on to a series of bad choices including leaving school and living on her own. Rebelliousness was a strong understatement to describe those formative years. As a teenager, her wakeup call came from a fight with brass knuckles and a judge that gave her a choice of shaping up or spending time in jail. She took that opportunity and found a way to moved up from the streets. She ended up co-owning an extremely successful construction business. She lived the high life until the real estate crash when she lost everything. She moved west and found herself living with her husband and four kids in a 900 square foot apartment. She now fills her time, writing, blogging, leading a group of frugal shoppers and sharing her southern culture. Her unique background gives her writing a raw sensibility. She understands what it takes to overcome life’s obstacles. She often tells friends, “I can do poor. I’m good at poor. It’s prosperity that I’m not used to.” Bri and her husband Chris live in Boise. Bri is known as the Belle of Boise for her true southern accent, bold demeanor and hospitable nature. </span></span></i></b><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" >If I was an animal…I’d be a liger…it’s a cross between a tiger and a lion bread for their skills and magic. Sorry…LOL quoting Napoleon Dynamite aka my son.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 24pt 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7vnjaosbw1gfvBRBDSUQHMKN989Rl22uhAl5P_j2AYV5bJHxrUhLqGTDJkE7h9fltL0wzFNAJGhQ7k4KfXlZZa5h4CnInzI5fQzbdZ41UrVjFCCCoPhlivH9WjO-wTpF_I7abpP8DAY/s1600/Bri+Iphone+040.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 132px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7vnjaosbw1gfvBRBDSUQHMKN989Rl22uhAl5P_j2AYV5bJHxrUhLqGTDJkE7h9fltL0wzFNAJGhQ7k4KfXlZZa5h4CnInzI5fQzbdZ41UrVjFCCCoPhlivH9WjO-wTpF_I7abpP8DAY/s200/Bri+Iphone+040.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574856528784463778" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" ><span style="">1.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Tell us a bit about your book--something you wouldn't find in the blurb. </span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" >This is just the beginning for Lucien and Aisleen. Their story will continue into a series of shorts then go into a novel called The Awakening.</span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" ><span style="">2.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">What was your inspiration for this story?</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" >I was working on my novel The Awakening and in it; Lucien and Aisleen were secondary but key characters. In a world building exercise, they just rather took on a story of their own.</span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" ><span style="">3.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Do you consider yourself a plotter or a pantser?</span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" > I’m a planster. I start out with character of plot building ideas but never finish them. The muse will grab me then I’ll just dive into writing the story.</span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" ><span style="">4.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">When diving into a new work, how much research do you do and how do you go about doing it? </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" >I do mainly fiction so my worlds are kind of character driven and the research isn’t as needed. However, for my novel Glazier I had to research a lot about the UK and their speech. Did you know that each area has different speech patterns kind of, like how the US has accents? I looked online of course but the best two forms of research came from reading novels with British males and watching the show Lie to Me. Love that show.</span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" ><span style="">5.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">If you could be one character from your book, who would it be and why?</span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" > Aisleen. She is sweet, lovely, and so completely empathetic to everyone. Unlike me, I am selfish, boastful, and downright cocky.</span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" ><span style="">6.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">And if you had to be stuck in an elevator for 42 hours with one of your characters…? </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" >Probably Colin Stryker. He is in Glazier. He’s a physician with the ability to create weapons as well. Extremely intelligent, handsome with a German accent. He would be the most entertaining and soothing for the situation. Of course, I would want to avoid his wife Shae when we got out. She carries a gun and is very possessive.</span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" ><span style="">7.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">What was the hardest part of writing this book?</span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" > I don’t know if I will ever finish Aisleen and Lucien’s story. </span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" ><span style="">8.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Why romantic suspense? Do you write any other subgenres of romance? </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" >Everything I write has two consistent elements—romance and suspense. I do write fantasy and paranormal as well. I’m dipping into doing some Noir thrillers as well.</span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" ><span style="">9.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">What books have most influenced your writing or your outlook on life in general</span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" >?<span style=""> </span>I’m very religious and I love the scriptures. Those are books I read every day. They remind me to serve others. I’m so completely slammed with my writing career now and I flourish under pressure but I always make time for others, especially those in our profession.</span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" ><span style="">10.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Quick! 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unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">Lucien Lemione the clan leader of the feared and revered Eternals is faced with the ultimate betrayal. His second in command for two centuries has not only created the most grievous of offenses but also commissioned the creation of liquid silver. When poisoned by this toxin, an immortal suffers a fate much worse than death, frozen in an internal prison. After being wounded when found spying, he hides deep within the eerie woods that encircle the Triad Mountains. Desperate and in pain, he prays to an offended mother goddess for help. Her answer: a woman, but not just any woman. A witch. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">After losing her entire coven at the hands of the Eternals, Aisleen is the last of her kind. She retreats from the world to Trinity Forest where she is giving the opportunity of a lifetime, or perhaps a test of principles. It’s there she discovers the man she heals is the Eternal that wiped out her people. Although she is bound as a healer, she could be creative in her revenge. Aisleen knows who and what Lucien <a name="_GoBack"></a>is…but does not speak of it. There can be no future with Lucien for she can only be with a mortal man. Even if she wanted to be with him, can she forgive the man that caused the genocide of her people?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Lucien must act quickly for the survival of his clan is at stake. However, Aisleen’s ethereal beauty and emerald eyes keep pushing those thoughts far from his mind. Determined to find out what secret she hides, he prolongs his time with her. When his people need him most what will he choose…duty, desire, or will he make his own fate? </p> <p class="MsoNormal">You can choose love but you can’t choose destiny.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span>buy links.....<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.astraeapress.com/index.html#ecwid:category=662245&mode=product&product=2626120"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1297996784_0">http://www.astraeapress.com/index.html#ecwid:category=662245&mode=product&product=2626120</span></a></span><br /><br /><span>trailer link....<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOjAG1U34EE"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1297996784_1">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOjAG1U34EE</span></a></span></p>Mindy MacKayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04291851417551468618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502077383752455581.post-54345905987141503772011-02-12T06:58:00.000-08:002011-02-12T07:04:29.820-08:00Soulgame playlist<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirbQxG6cgSi_4rzLOCMLQ_gJ9nMfRx-f5mw8n62CDqUPnO8GLXjrMNMACF8dvZeIih1Nudc_zXhRDxXeKokUKwXxH4ZvAQKrGqstv5ewxdfIVEOI2v88YTOoayqKJA0Gnwh5Shj0a1jAA/s1600/Soulgame+150+x+225.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirbQxG6cgSi_4rzLOCMLQ_gJ9nMfRx-f5mw8n62CDqUPnO8GLXjrMNMACF8dvZeIih1Nudc_zXhRDxXeKokUKwXxH4ZvAQKrGqstv5ewxdfIVEOI2v88YTOoayqKJA0Gnwh5Shj0a1jAA/s1600/Soulgame+150+x+225.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>It's that time again chickadees. All my zombies and Purge survivors, turn up the volume.<br /><br />1. Ke$ha - Hungover<br />1. Various artists - Gloomy Sunday (I like the Emilie Autumn version myself)<br />1. The Rolling Stones - Paint It Black<br />1. The Charlatans - Blackened Blue Eyes<br />1. Paramore - Let The Flames Begin<br />1. Green Day - Know Your Enemy<br />1. Garbage - Medication<br />1. Flyleaf - Justice and Mercy<br />1. Krypteria - Get The Hell Out Of My Way<br />1. Garbage - #1 Crush<br />1. Krypteria - I Just Drowned In Your Eyes<br />1. My Chemical Romance - Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back<br />1. Within Temptation - The Truth Beneath The Rose<br />1. Styx - Cold WarMindy MacKayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04291851417551468618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502077383752455581.post-14348084594074012192011-02-10T18:07:00.000-08:002011-02-11T15:13:53.712-08:00All Things Romantic Suspense: Kiki Howell<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguuPivz8DzboYH_yvHPmUiaSDt8IBRmRC_pJ5cS_SRcBDoNoC6XjU5reAeJaptZuYhfsC0cIDlxAM3XPaDfr1_SbEe5Ld__mYShhesC_zBlbQKtyJMaTbclIOphFIMEHEsLP2iin1vSjA/s1600/tornasunder.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguuPivz8DzboYH_yvHPmUiaSDt8IBRmRC_pJ5cS_SRcBDoNoC6XjU5reAeJaptZuYhfsC0cIDlxAM3XPaDfr1_SbEe5Ld__mYShhesC_zBlbQKtyJMaTbclIOphFIMEHEsLP2iin1vSjA/s200/tornasunder.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572248544133266258" border="0" /></a>Hey everyone! 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mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">1.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Howdy! Please introduce yourself, tell us an interesting fact about you, and if you were an animal, what would it be? <span style="font-weight: bold;">Hi! My name is Kiki Howell, and I am an author of paranormal, erotic romances. While my stories are mystical, in real life I am also a Certified Feng Shui practionioner that lets me work my own sort of magic in homes.</span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">2.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Tell us a bit about your book--something you wouldn't find in the blurb.<span style=""> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">The constant fight to try to be together as their world continues to try to tear them apart creates a myriad of spells both for love and for survival. Writing it, I found my novel, </span><u style="font-weight: bold;">Torn Asunder</u><span style="font-weight: bold;">, to contain some of the most intense magic I have written outside of my short novel, </span><u style="font-weight: bold;">A Modern Day Witch Hunt</u><span style="font-weight: bold;">.</span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">3.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>What was your inspiration for this story? <span style="font-weight: bold;">Actually it was more of a challenge to myself to write a historical set in my favorite period, Regency England.</span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">4.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Do you consider yourself a plotter or a pantser? <span style="font-weight: bold;">Plotter, definitely from outlines of chapters to story boards.</span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">5.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>When diving into a new work, how much research do you do and how do you go about doing it?<span style="font-weight: bold;"> I love the library and shopping online for books. I tend to spend a bit too much time in the research as I love it!</span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">6.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>If you could be one character from your book, who would it be and why? <span style="font-weight: bold;">Oh, definitely my heroine Aubrey. I want her magical skills and her passion for life and her loyalty to those she loves.</span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">7.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>And if you had to be stuck in an elevator for 42 hours with one of your characters…? <span style="font-weight: bold;">Well, then I guess I would have to go with one of my heroes! LOL But, I’m not telling which one ;)</span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">8.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>What was the hardest part of writing this book?<span style="font-weight: bold;"> I rewrote it many, many times from a short story to a novella to a novel. I kept taking ending and making them conflicts.</span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">9.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Why romantic suspense? Do you write any other subgenres of romance? <span style="font-weight: bold;">Actually I think the suspense just came about on its own from the mixing of my many genres. I write in many subgenres from historical to paranormal to erotic romance.</span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">10.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>What books have most influenced your writing or your outlook on life in general?<span style="font-weight: bold;"> I do a lot of research in Wiccan books and they have opened my eyes to such a simplistic, natural way to observe and appreciate life. </span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">11.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Quick! The Departed, Shutter Island, or Inception?<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Inception</span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span style="">12.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Anything I didn't ask you about that you want to shout out to the world? </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >February ‘The Month of Romance’ Sale </span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" > </span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><u><span style=";font-family:";" >The Healing Spell</span></u></b><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" > $0.99</span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><u><span style=";font-family:";" >Rituals</span></u></b><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" > $1.99 Ebook </span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><u><span style=";font-family:";" >A Modern Day Witch Hunt</span></u></b><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" > $2.49 Ebook<span style=""> </span>/ $7.99 Print</span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><u><span style=";font-family:";" >Torn Asunder</span></u></b><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" > $3.49 Ebook / $9.99 Print</span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><u><span style=";font-family:";" >Bloodlust & Redemption</span></u></b><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" > $3.99 Print</span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><u><span style=";font-family:";" >The Healing Spell & Other Stories</span></u></b><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" > $ 1.49Ebook / $6.99 Print</span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" > </span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" ><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_tc_2_0?rh=i:stripbooks,k:Kiki+Howell&keywords=Kiki+Howell&ie=UTF8&qid=1296483164&sr=1-2-ent&field-contributor_id=B002OFXELQ"><span style="color: rgb(77, 77, 77);">Amazon</span></a></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >Look for ebook sale prices also at </span></b><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" ><a href="http://productsearch.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?ATH=Kiki+Howell"><span style="color: rgb(77, 77, 77);">Barnes & Noble</span></a>, <a href="http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=author&qString=Kiki+Howell"><span style="color: rgb(77, 77, 77);">All Romance Ebooks</span></a>, <a href="http://www.bookstrand.com/kiki-howell"><span style="color: rgb(77, 77, 77);">Bookstrand</span></a>, <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=kiki+howell"><span style="color: rgb(77, 77, 77);">Smashwords</span></a><span style=""> </span></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" > </span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >As always, <u>Bloodlust & Redemption</u> Ebook is available free at </span></b><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" ><a href="http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-bloodlustandredemption-439269-139.html"><span style="color: rgb(77, 77, 77);">All Romance Ebooks</span></a></span></b><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" > and </span></b><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" ><a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/26350"><span style="color: rgb(77, 77, 77);">Smashwords</span></a></span></b><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >; <u>Sexual Magick</u> is available free at </span></b><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" ><a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/26346"><span style="color: rgb(77, 77, 77);">Smashwords</span></a></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" > </span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >Also, check out my </span></b><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" ><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/KikiHowell"><span style="color: rgb(77, 77, 77);">Etsy Store</span></a></span></b><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";" > for February Bundles!</span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><b><i><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";" >Kiki Howell spins a wonderful tale of passion, magic, betrayal, and a love that conquers all. Enjoy." ~</span></i></b></span><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";" >NY Times Bestselling Author, Hannah Howell</span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><i><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";" >Blurb: </span></i></b><i><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";" >Aubrey Griffen is a witch whose true reasons for coming to London soon fall to the wayside when she catches the eye of Edmund Bryant, the Marquess of Dalysbury. He seduces her into a whirlwind romance until the lies and threats of his mother force her to flee to Triaill Brimuir, a secret island of her ancestors off the coast of Ireland. Edmund goes after her only to be hit by Aubrey’s confusion and anger when she magically transforms him into an elemental beast of her own creation. </span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";" > </span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";" >However, it is when Edmund’s lust mysteriously turns him back into a man that the couple are forced to deal with a family secret and untold of powers. Now, Edmund must learn to shift himself into the beast in order to save her in a battle of black verses white magic. </span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";" > </span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";" >Fraught with scenes of explicit intimacy, romantic spells and mystical shapeshifting, Torn Asunder is a unique blending of the age of manners with sexual magic.</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";" > </span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><i><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";" >Genres:</span></i></b><i><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";" > Historical (Regency), Paranormal (Witches & Shifters), Erotic, Romantic Suspense</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><i><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";" >Adult Content Warnings: </span></i></b><i><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";" >Explicit Graphic Language, Violence</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";" > </span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";" >You can purchase Torn asunder in eBook and Trade Paperback online at retailers like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Torn-Asunder-Kiki-Howell/dp/1453816895/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1294512218&sr=8-10">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Torn-Asunder/Kiki-Howell/e/9781609824433/?itm=1&USRI=kiki+howell">Barnes & Noble</a>, <a href="http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-tornasunder-506442-140.html">All Romance Ebooks</a>, <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/37237">Smashwords</a>, and <a href="http://excessica.com/store/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=28&products_id=515&osCsid=8dcc3269a11b9beef7900e63e40cd59a">Excessica Publishing</a> .</span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";" > </span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><i><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";" >Author Website <a href="http://www.kikihowell.com/">http://www.kikihowell.com</a></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:16.5pt;" > </span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span class="apple-style-span"><i><span style=";font-family:";" >Praise for Torn Asunder:</span></i></span><i><span style=";font-family:";" ></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span class="apple-style-span"><i><span style=";font-family:";" >Kiki Howell I feel has a major hit on her hands with Torn Asunder. I was so glued to this book that I was up til 4AM reading it, and mind you, I had to be up at 7AM to see my kiddies off to school....lol. I was just so captivated… In between all the chaos our couple must endure is the most breath taking love story. Their hearts and minds are linked for all time by an unforeseen connection that real couples only dream of. On a scale of 1-10 I give this book a 10 and encourage everyone 18 and over to get a copy of this book and fall under Aubrey and Emund's spell. It is so worth the ride.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style=";font-family:";" > ~5 out of 5 Stars, </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i><span style=";font-family:";" >Review by Raquel Vega-Grieder for Sinfully Tasty Reads</span></i></span><i><span style=";font-family:";" ></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><i><span style=";font-family:";" > </span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);" class="apple-style-span"><i><span style=";font-family:";" > “Torn Asunder is what a Regency novel should be. Prior to this book, I have never had a historical romance keep my interest for more than a chapter or two. Kiki Howell has written a historical novel that sings. Her love for the time period is reflected in every part of the story, from the vivid characters to the clear imagery of her settings. I give Torn Asunder five of five hearts.” ~D. Alexx Miller, Book Reviewer for Romance in the Backseat</span></i></span><i><span style=";font-family:";" ></span></i></p>Mindy MacKayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04291851417551468618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502077383752455581.post-87189752642257866932011-02-05T08:53:00.000-08:002011-02-05T09:16:07.019-08:00Q&A with Mindy MacKay, which doesn't actually rhyme, since the pronunciation of my last name is Mack-Eye, but OH WELL.Hello my lovelies. A few weeks ago I took questions about Soulgame from readers down at FangTastic Books, and now I'm answering 'em. SO. Here goes.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 255);">SandyG265 asks, "Is Kiera based on someone you know in real life?"</span><br /><br />Good question. I like to think I've made her a sympathetic protagonist, but no, she's not based on anyone. She and I share the same...cough...aesthetic sensibilities, but other than that, she has no basis in the real world.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 255);">Jolene Allcock and Family ask, "Where did you get your ideas for your books? Did you pull anything from your day to day life?"</span><br /><br />Yes. Just last year, I was caught in the middle of a zombie apocalypse and got infected while trying to save my lover's life.<br /><br />Well, no, not really. Several scenes from the series were lifted from my life almost directly, but those have since been deleted because they're not nearly as interesting as what I can just pull out of the infinite.<br /><br />Honestly, in the sliding scale of pantser versus plotter, I'm a plotter in spades. I spend so much time planning and deliberating every subtle strategic move my characters make that I forget where the inspiration came from in the first place. Though the few times when I can pinpoint the origin of an idea, it's usually some political current event or a piece of really old, public-domain literature.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 255);">Sadangel asks, "Does Kiera feel she is strong enough to make the tough decision, or does she feel that she needs someone to help her decide which way to go?"</span><br /><br />That is a really, really good question and I'm glad you asked that because it's the cliffhanger question that ends Soulgame. Ultimately, she comes to the decision that she believes is moral, but you'll have to wait until the next book to figure out whether she's really making her own choices or if she's being influenced by an outside source which I can't name right now due to spoiler risk.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 255);">Tore asks, "What made you decide to become a writer?"</span><br /><br />...Actually, I didn't decide to be a writer. I plan to go into biology. The writering profession more or less chose me. And for that matter, I have yet to meet a writer who actually, consciously "decided" to become a writer. But maybe that's because I don't hang out with the business-people side of the writering world, but the side that doesn't try to tamper with or control the output of its subconscious soul.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 255);">Meredith asks, "Why zombies? I don't see the attraction."</span><br /><br />You're not supposed to. My zombies are not for amorous activities. My zombies are meant to scare, frighten, shock, and terrorize you. There's no attraction involved. I've got actual thinking characters for that, although those can be pretty terrorizing too.<br /><br />Look, just, general rule here: don't touch my zombies, and my zombies won't touch you.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 255);">And, finally, donnas asks, "Vampires, Shifters, Zombies, Angels - who wins the final ultimate battle?"</span><br /><br />Okay. Who said anything about vampires or angels, because they're not in this series at all.<br /><br />Now that that's out in the open, the main battle of this series isn't something that can be won by one faction/species/race or another. The conflict is man v. self, so really the question you should be asking is, does Kiera's conscience win, or do her id and ego take over?<br /><br />And for that, you'll have to stick around for the rest of the series.Mindy MacKayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04291851417551468618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502077383752455581.post-81554558206675558922011-02-03T17:23:00.000-08:002011-02-04T07:56:57.942-08:00All Things Romantic Suspense: Jerri Drennen<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwYPsWXSiF17c7gcFq7iJAwaXZ52pNgXvfRk_xi8yi1GXEAUNZy_yJ9NwwF-pcDOzZyui78IYut1SSFlLT6Mhy_D18z2ynWUiUOIO6vQA-mi4nhL3dZABC2wpIRFMOfT__1sNwxwY7tMI/s1600/Untouched_550x800.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 138px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwYPsWXSiF17c7gcFq7iJAwaXZ52pNgXvfRk_xi8yi1GXEAUNZy_yJ9NwwF-pcDOzZyui78IYut1SSFlLT6Mhy_D18z2ynWUiUOIO6vQA-mi4nhL3dZABC2wpIRFMOfT__1sNwxwY7tMI/s200/Untouched_550x800.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569639578212820882" border="0" /></a><br />Hi y'all! Today I'm joined by Jerri Drennen, author of Untouched. She's here with an interview and excerpt, and if that hotsmexy cover hasn't reeled you in by now, I don't know what to say to get you to stick around and shoot her a howdy. 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Please introduce yourself, tell us an interesting fact about you, and if you were an animal, what would it be?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" >I'm Jerri Drennen. I'm a wife and mother and I love to go to yard sales. If I could be any animal, I think I'd be a cat. They are crazy critters.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" >2.Tell us a bit about your book--something you wouldn't find in the blurb.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" >Both Travis and Madeline are running away from something. You'll have to read the book to find out what that is.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" >3.What was your inspiration for this story? </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" >Well, my husband is a Mason and he is into watching anything Knights Templar. I guess it wore off on me. I used the mystery of where they disappeared to, along with their missing treasures, as a way to get my hero and heroine together.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" >4.Do you consider yourself a plotter or a pantser? </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" >Panster for sure.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" >5.When diving into a new work, how much research do you do and how do you go about doing it?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" >It depends on the book. My current Wip I've done a lot. Untouched I have to do quite a bit as well, but usually I do a little along the way when I need to.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" >6.If you could be one character from your book, who would it be and why?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" >I guess Mattie since she has a lot of me in her.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" >7.And if you had to be stuck in an elevator for 42 hours with one of your characters…? </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" >Definitely Galen, who is the hero of the second book in my jungle series.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" >8.What was the hardest part of writing this book? </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" >The love scenes are always hard for me.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" >9.Why romantic suspense? </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" >I love the thrill of throwing two people into a bad situation and see how they use their heads to get out alive. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" >Do you write any other subgenres of romance? </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" >Right now I'm writing a paranormal romantic suspense but I've written contemporary romance, time-travel and action-adventure romance.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" >10.What books have most influenced your writing or your outlook on life in general?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" >That's hard. 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Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;color:black;" >Untouched</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;color:black;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;color:black;" >Blurb</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;color:black;" >Botanist Madeline Wentworth is relieved to be heading into the Amazon, far from the university and the vicious rumors circulating about her failed love affair. But on arriving in Peru, her team finds their guide dead with a small puncture wound to his neck. Waiting to replace him is Travis Kane, Amazon guide, treasure hunter, and superhunk. Mattie is instantly attracted but uncomfortably suspicious. When a member of her team falls ill and a similar puncture wound is found on his body, her suspicions deepen.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;color:black;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;color:black;" >Travis has stuck with being a jungle guide for over ten years despite a run of unsavory clients. The rain forest is full of hidden ruins and undiscovered treasure, and he’s determined to find his share. But when his grandfather dies, leaving a letter boasting of Templar gold, he’s sure it's nothing more than an old man’s delusion. Everything changes when he finds his grandfather’s map. With high hopes, he leads Mattie’s team into the rain forest and finds himself overwhelmed by the beautiful blonde. When the group is attacked and has to fight its way out of the jungle, Travis discovers something more precious than gold--the love of a woman who’s made him want to be a better man.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN" >Excerpt</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=";font-family:";" >Travis waited until the last of the crew turned in for the night then breathed a sigh of relief. Now it was his chance to take a dip in the pool, wash away the day’s dirt and sweat from his body.</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=";font-family:";" >He glanced at the makeshift clothesline where they’d hung their wet clothes after changing. For a good two hours the team had swam and then washed their garments.</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=";font-family:";" >The whole time, his attention had been on Mattie. She stared at him as if she’d wanted to eat him up, her gaze so intense that it’d almost made him lose control and dive in after her. The woman was magnificent with water glistening on her skin, the sunlight magnifying every droplet. She’d looked like a mythical water nymph. On that image alone, a man could masturbate for weeks.</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=";font-family:";" >Travis stripped the clothes from his body and waded into the cool water, determined to lose that picture before his swim was over.</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=";font-family:";" >He had to get a few hours sleep tonight or he’d have a hard time staying awake tomorrow.</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=";font-family:";" >For what seemed like an hour, he swam, gliding fluidly on the surface of the water, hoping it’d tire him out.</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=";font-family:";" >A splashing sound from the edge of the pool put him on alert.</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=";font-family:";" >He treaded water, his gaze darting around the pool, then coming to land on Mattie, whose barely-clothed body skimmed through the water, the moonlight casting a glow around her as if she were a ghost.</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=";font-family:";" >Travis sucked in a breath, caught up in her movement as she closed in on him.</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=";font-family:";" >What the hell was she doing? He had only so much control, and it was being seriously diminished by the look in her eyes.</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=";font-family:";" >As she neared, he struggled to breathe. “What do you want, Mattie?”</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=";font-family:";" >“I couldn’t sleep.” The words came out in a seductive whisper, and his cock throbbed under the cool water.</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><i style=""><span style=";font-family:";color:black;" >Christ Almighty.</span></i><span style=";font-family:";color:black;" ></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=";font-family:";" >How was he going to fight his desire when everything she did turned him on?</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=";font-family:";" >“You’re going to be worn out if you don’t get some rest.” Was he telling her or himself that?</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=";font-family:";" >“You haven’t been sleeping either, have you?” She inched closer to him.</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=";font-family:";" >If not for the water swirling around him, he’d have gone up in flames. “I’m used to not getting much rest in the jungle.”</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=";font-family:";" >She smiled, then dunked her head under the water and resurfaced.</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=";font-family:";" >As if in a trance, Travis watched her hands glide down her long blonde tresses, wringing out the water, the droplets on her face shining in the moonlight. He was lost in her eyes--lost in one particular drop of water on her plump bottom lip. Never in his life had he wanted to kiss a woman so badly. He could almost feel her mouth fused on his--taste the cool water on her lips.</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=";font-family:";" >This was insane.</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=";font-family:";" >She was on the move again, skimming through the water, her intent clear. She wanted him to kiss her, and more. How could he resist the open seduction, especially with his body screaming to stop thinking and start kissing?</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=";font-family:";" >When her toes curled around his beneath the water, an electric current shot up his leg, spreading out to every appendage, causing one in particular to go rigid.</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=";font-family:";" >She reached a wet hand out and traced the line of his bottom lip. “You have a beautiful mouth.” It was said so low he wondered if she’d meant to say it aloud.</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=";font-family:";" >This whole thing was getting out of control fast. He either had to stop her now or kiss her until she passed out.</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=";font-family:";" >Her index finger dipped into his mouth.</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><i style=""><span style=";font-family:";color:black;" >Shit.</span></i></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=";font-family:";color:black;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" >Review</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style=";font-family:";color:black;" >http://www.joyfullyreviewed.com/recommended-reviews/november-2010-recommended-reads/untouched-by-jerri-drennen</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:14pt;color:black;" >Now available on Kindle</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" >http://www.amazon.com/Untouched-ebook/dp/B004D9FY14/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1291377630&sr=1-1</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:12pt;" lang="EN" > </span></p>Mindy MacKayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04291851417551468618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502077383752455581.post-687658384107613972011-01-27T17:30:00.000-08:002011-01-27T17:37:08.934-08:00All Things Romantic Suspense: Elaina Lee<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijn07YwFeRTsZhuiNEH_ZZGRU2NpBdCFOoKkU5bYJbfAUI-V8RpNrqdeG7pKNOD_U999oI0qar2tlbVKfUAlYue9GRtXzqfJNbsYAY8wXv8ZsRSB0l668G_JP3H7b-6ejweWdOh3kg-J0/s1600/Written+in+Blood+200+x+300.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijn07YwFeRTsZhuiNEH_ZZGRU2NpBdCFOoKkU5bYJbfAUI-V8RpNrqdeG7pKNOD_U999oI0qar2tlbVKfUAlYue9GRtXzqfJNbsYAY8wXv8ZsRSB0l668G_JP3H7b-6ejweWdOh3kg-J0/s200/Written+in+Blood+200+x+300.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567043967206524194" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />Today Elaina Lee, author of Written in Blood, joins us. 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class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">1.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Howdy! Please introduce yourself, tell us an interesting fact about you, and if you were an animal, what would it be? </span><span style=";font-size:100%;color:red;" >Hello, I'm Elaina Lee and thanks for having me here today! </span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style=";font-size:100%;color:red;" >I love being out in nature, but hate yard work.<span style=""> </span>I plan on having a garden this year, and it will be entirely in five gallon buckets (to make it easier to weed).<span style=""> </span></span><span style=";font-family:Wingdings;font-size:100%;color:red;" ><span style="">J</span></span><span style=";font-size:100%;color:red;" ><span style=""> </span>An animal, oh this one is always so hard!<span style=""> </span>Probably a horse, because they're intelligent, powerful<span style=""> </span>and respected by humans without being feared.</span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">2.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Tell us a bit about your book--something you wouldn't find in the blurb.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style=";font-size:100%;color:red;" >Oh come on now, the blurb was so hard to write, I like to show it off, LOL!<span style=""> </span>So this is going to be raw and dirty </span><span style=";font-family:Wingdings;font-size:100%;color:red;" ><span style="">J</span></span><span style=";font-size:100%;color:red;" >.<span style=""> </span>Well, my heroines life quickly begins<span style=""> </span>to spiral out of control as she fears her ex-husband is stalking her and she begins to fall-in-lust with the one man she can't sleep with.<span style=""> </span>Period.<span style=""> </span>My<span style=""> </span>hero struggles with feelings of desire for a single woman, something that hasn't happened to him in a long time. <span style=""> </span>He fears what it may mean for him and how he's supposed to handle the change, which will not only affect his personal life, but his professional as well.</span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">3.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">What was your inspiration for this story? </span><span style=";font-size:100%;color:red;" >So many authors have their heroine's classify the hero as villains.<span style=""> </span>I read one story where the heroine went on this rant about how much of a villain (literally) the hero was.<span style=""> </span>How evil, perverted and sinfully corrupted he was.<span style=""> </span>He was NOT, by the way.<span style=""> </span>So<span style=""> </span>I wondered what it would be like to write a<span style=""> </span>hero who was borderline a villain and<span style=""> </span>what kind of woman would be able to handle such a man.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">4.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Do you consider yourself a plotter or a pantser? </span><span style=";font-size:100%;color:red;" >I used to be a plotter, but life is so busy now, I plot scene's ahead, not entire novels.<span style=""> </span>So I guess I'm a converted panster </span><span style=";font-family:Wingdings;font-size:100%;color:red;" ><span style="">J</span></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">5.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">When diving into a new work, how much research do you do and how do you go about doing it?</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style=";font-size:100%;color:red;" >Oh a lot.<span style=""> </span>I have a library in my house.<span style=""> </span>I have to set up a new bookmark folder just to keep track of all the online material I find to help me learn my next subject.<span style=""> </span>I usually though, purchase a handful of books and break out the highlighter.<span style=""> </span>What<span style=""> </span>can I say, I'm old-fashioned.<span style=""> </span>*grin*</span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">6.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">If you could be one character from your book, who would it be and why? </span><span style=";font-size:100%;color:red;" >Hmmm, at this point I'm not sure I'd want to be any of my characters, LOL!<span style=""> </span>Even the lighthearted ones in my comedies have had hard lives that I don't envy or would want any part of.<span style=""> </span>I'm really good at torturing my characters, in their past and their present.</span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">7.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">And if you had to be stuck in an elevator for 42 hours with one of your characters…? </span><span style=";font-size:100%;color:red;" >Oh, that would be Alek.<span style=""> </span>Just so I could stare at him…. sigh.</span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">8.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">What was the hardest part of writing this book?</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style=";font-size:100%;color:red;" >The action scene's.<span style=""> </span>Action is harder to write than sex because of how fast it is.<span style=""> </span>You have to get quick movements down in a way that they read fast yet convey enough to not leave the reader going, "What the heck is she/he doing?!"</span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">9.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Why romantic suspense? Do you write any other subgenres of romance? </span><span style=";font-size:100%;color:red;" >I love the angst of romantic suspense.<span style=""> </span>The adrenaline rush you get from your characters as they struggle to survive.<span style=""> </span>I'm so horrible, I know!<span style=""> </span>Oddly, I'm writing a Southern romantic comedy right now, LOL!<span style=""> </span>But believe me, I'll be ready for my alpha male hero and strong heroine after this story is done.</span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">10.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">What books have most influenced your writing or your outlook on life in general?</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style=";font-size:100%;color:red;" >Unless they're bad, which gives me this rabid desire to write, books don't really influence my writing.<span style=""> </span>I admire the authors who weave good tales and usually the best ones leave me unable to write period, I'm so in awe of their talent.</span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">11.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Quick! The Departed, Shutter Island, or Inception?</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style=";font-size:100%;color:red;" >I haven't seen any of those! LOL! I do love movies, but for some reason, none of those flicks have graced my TV screen.<span style=""> </span>Now ask me which favorite movie by Christian Bale and I might have an answer (or three) for you *wink*.</span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">12.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Anything I didn't ask you about that you want to shout out to the world? </span><span style=";font-size:100%;color:red;" >Nope, this was an excellent interview, so a shouted THANK YOU is all I'd like to do.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-size:100%;color:red;" >Blurb: </span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> 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priority="32" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:100%;" >Lyndi Crisdean is assigned one of the hardest cases in her career as a defense attorney. A serial murder case. Investigating is Alek Trevian, the lead investigator for the district attorney, and a handsome and supremely dangerous man. Lyndi finds herself in over her head when she chooses desire for Alek over common sense. If they're caught, Lyndi will lose everything she's worked for. Circumstances beyond her control pull her toward Alek, for he turns out to be the only one who can help when threats start to mount against her.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:100%;" >Lyndi may be the key Alek needs to bring down a murderous cult running loose in his city. When her beach house is broken into and a man begins to tail Lyndi, Alek can't help but reason Lyndi may be next on the cult's hitlist. The question is, will he discover the identity of the cult, keep her safe, and still win the case against the serial killer she's defending, all while losing a battle against the strong, untamable desire she alone ignites within him?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:100%;" >BUY LINKS - </span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;color:red;" >You can find it on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Written-in-Blood-ebook/dp/B004GXAYZ8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1294852596&sr=8-1">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.bookstrand.com/written-in-blood">Bookstrand</a>, <a href="http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-writteninblood-496834-148.html">All Romance</a> and of course my publishers site, <a href="https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=203">Noble Romance</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;color:red;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;color:red;" >Website information - www.elainalee.com and elaina-lee.blogspot.com</span></p>Mindy MacKayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04291851417551468618noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502077383752455581.post-83756153441354064762011-01-20T17:04:00.000-08:002011-01-21T04:52:24.124-08:00All Things Romantic Suspense: Veronica Lynch<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJcOfDbkmeCE4-CDMZOdWwNceXPJ1TyYJHDGCww7Dp4VMY86qEsow2raptXWGw9pFVKI21AQZCIpMwmLjPNKIAb8hf1-ztw0fkaSd8RahNPSe6n3onVKm9YQvwPT6bzg81VmPGUxcEo_0/s1600/TWW_MD.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJcOfDbkmeCE4-CDMZOdWwNceXPJ1TyYJHDGCww7Dp4VMY86qEsow2raptXWGw9pFVKI21AQZCIpMwmLjPNKIAb8hf1-ztw0fkaSd8RahNPSe6n3onVKm9YQvwPT6bzg81VmPGUxcEo_0/s200/TWW_MD.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564440000709548866" border="0" /></a><br />Today I welcome Veronica Lynch, author of Those Who Wait. Let's get this party started!<span style=""><br /><br />1.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b>Howdy! Please introduce yourself, tell us an interesting fact about you, and if you were an animal, what would it be?</b> I am a retired OR nurse/medical malpractice investigator, former victim advocate. If I were an animal I would be a lioness because it wouldn't be much of a stretch. You try working with fast handed surgeons, misogynistic obstetricians, and less than interested police officers. See how long you last before your claws come out. Oops, got a little snarky there. Sorry. Five Hail Mary's for me. <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style="">2.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b>Tell us a bit about your book—</b>We are speaking of Those Who Wait, a short novella, released in September 2010 through Decadent Publishing. A hoot of a story, based on real events and real people, myself included. </p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><b><span style="">3.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></b><b>What was your inspiration for this story? </b>I always wanted to tell a story about a victim advocate and a cop, but I didn't want to get into the emotional baggage this type of work brings with it. I didn't want to relive all the heartache and frustration. Decadent offered me a chance to write something quick, fun and short. It worked. Plus, I got to write about the man of my dreams and turn him into the hero he deserved to be.<b> </b></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><b> </b></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style="">4.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b>Do you consider yourself a plotter or a pantser?</b> BTSOOM which is nurse-speak for I-don't-have-the-slightest-idea.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style="">5.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b>When diving into a new work, how much research do you do and how do you go about doing it?</b> Depending on the story idea which I must must have before I begin any new project, I often will develop my characters first, then get into the research. As to how I research, it depends. Some I've done online [like school bullying]; others I've gone to the location. I've spent many memorable weekends in the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York, the setting for one of my earliest books. As an insurance investigator, I traveled the length of upstate New York so many of the locations are permanently tattooed in my brain, but that makes developing settings easy. I've made rounds with an equine vet, spent an afternoon with a police mounted patrol unit, interrogated a physician who works for Doctors Without Borders over lunch, read more books on genocide than I care to list. </p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style="">6.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b>If you could be one character from your book, who would it be and why? </b>I would be Megan Muldoon so I could have a chance to go back and have a do-over with her job. This time out, I be more emotionally balanced, show an improved sense of humor and a greater appreciation for the law enforcement side of handling violence against women.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><b> </b></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style="">7.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b>And if you had to be stuck in an elevator for 42 hours with one of your characters…? </b>In a heartbeat I'd want to be stuck with Keenan Rossi. Can we be certain the elevator is stuck and we won't be interuppted? That's important to the fantasy. Not that he'd last that long because I'd wear him out, but one can always fantasize. </p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><b> </b></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><b><span style="">8.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></b><b>What was the hardest part of writing this book? </b>The editor kept asking for more pages. I gave her what I was capable of giving but then had to stop. This story was designed to be short and quick, not some long drawn out pain-filled emotional wringer.<b> </b></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><b> </b></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style="">9.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b>Why romantic suspense?</b> Why not? <b>Do you write any other sub genres of romance? </b>I've tried several times. My fingers and brain refused to cooperate. </p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style="">10.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b>What books have most influenced your writing or your outlook on life in general? </b>Carolina Moon and Divine Evil by Nora Roberts. Samantha Power's A Problem From Hell. The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style="">11.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>Quick! <b>The Departed</b>, if this was the cop movie set in Boston with Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen, one of the Baldwins, Leo D, and Mark Wahlberg . . . I wept. Leo deserved an Oscar nod. You could see the emotional deterioration on his face; he did not need to speak. He broke my heart—and I really don't care for his movies. If I'm describing a different movie, I'm sorry. I don't get out much.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style="">12.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b>Anything I didn't ask you about that you want to shout out to the world? </b><span style=""> </span>Yeah, thanks, Mindy. Support your local domestic violence shelter by giving your time and support, gently used clothes and household goods or toys for little ones. Our children are our most precious resource; growing up with violence warps that resource and eventually destroys it.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">thank you so much for allowing me to be a guest at your blog. This was fun!</p> ----<br /><br />Purchase Veronica's book at <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> <w:word11kerningpairs/> <w:cachedcolbalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathpr> <m:mathfont val="Cambria Math"> <m:brkbin 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mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" >“Crime Victim Services,” she murmured into the receiver. “How may I help you?”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" >The caller's voice was low, husky, and exquisitely male. “Do you know the difference between a barracuda and a victim advocate?”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" >Her heart skipped a beat. Maybe two. </span><span style="">“</span><span style=";font-family:";" >Lip gloss.</span><span style="">”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">“<span style=";font-family:";" >Well damn,” Investigator Keenan Rossi muttered. “You already heard it.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">“<span style=";font-family:";" >An oldie but a goodie, pal.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">“<span style=";font-family:";" >Aren't we all. How you doin' on this gorgeous February day, gorgeous?”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" >Bringing the face of the handsome sheriff's detective to mind took no great effort. After several moments of imagining twinkling eyes and a dimpled grin, she said, “Not too bad. How's by you?”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">“<span style=";font-family:";" >Lemme tell you, <i style="">cara</i>. If I was any better, I'd scare myself."</span></p>Mindy MacKayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04291851417551468618noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502077383752455581.post-15453317286010230942011-01-16T18:24:00.000-08:002011-01-16T18:45:13.906-08:00Reviewed: Blood Crimes by Dave ZeltsermanTitle: Blood Crimes<br />Author: Dave Zeltserman<br />Genre: Crime/Paranormal horror<br />Purchase at: http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Crimes-Book-One-ebook/dp/B004HO5J56<br /><br />The basic gist: Vampire Jim travels across the country with his human girlfriend Carol, the two of them surviving through theft and luring predators for Jim's dinner. Hot on their heels is Jim's coldhearted ex, Serena, who is in turn kept watch over by Metcalf, a sociopathic killer who conducts experiments on his own kind in the hopes of easing the inconveniences that come with vampirism. Intense chases, drug wars, and violent battles abound.<br /><br />My thoughts:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Whoa.<br /><br />WHOA.<br /><br />Okay. Let's see if I can explain this. Take today's typical vampire fiction, shove it into Bedlam House and whip it with a cat-o'-ninetails to force it to breed with your grittiest crime thriller. That's what you'll get when you open up this book.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Blood Crimes</span> is fast. It's visceral. It's definitely not your fourteen-year-old sister's dreamy vampire fantasy. This book grabs you by the guttiwuts, wrenches hard, and doesn't let go.<br /><br />But don't get me wrong, this isn't your run-of-the-mill shock literature. Zeltserman weaves a disturbing noir with a passionate craftsman's hand over his characters. He handles point-of-view in a way so you sympathize with the vantage point--and not just when he's switching between Jim and Carol. Frighteningly enough, he managed to get me behind the motives of the sociopathic, amoral Metcalf as well. You definitely know who the villains are, but at times it can become difficult not to like them because they're so dang cool!<br /><br />All in all, I give this book a 5 over 5. It'll have you speedreading through it, and, by the ending, desperately wondering what happens in the next book!<br /></span>Mindy MacKayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04291851417551468618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502077383752455581.post-41351534976844236612011-01-14T05:16:00.000-08:002011-01-14T05:23:50.662-08:00All Things Romantic Suspense: Ursula Grey<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-pRaak79Nh_a3tyNNeiRcVRvbuJuLLvRNGFes71szbv1NsX5EzfCq1qSf_uAHkhyZU90n4FgD2OShksZVhlVntluLksQWpnDnXwRp2Vo8vm7ZPTQqoMv_A4chhQ3wgB4H8pB-1BRkEyY/s1600/Second+Chances+-+cover.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-pRaak79Nh_a3tyNNeiRcVRvbuJuLLvRNGFes71szbv1NsX5EzfCq1qSf_uAHkhyZU90n4FgD2OShksZVhlVntluLksQWpnDnXwRp2Vo8vm7ZPTQqoMv_A4chhQ3wgB4H8pB-1BRkEyY/s200/Second+Chances+-+cover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562031675890704434" border="0" /></a><br />Hey y'all! Today I'm interviewing Ursula Grey, author of Second Chances. Stop by, leave a comment, and help me give her a big ol' Texas welcome! <33<span style=""><span style=""><br /><br />MM:<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Howdy! Please introduce yourself, tell us an interesting fact about you, and if you were an animal, what would it be? <p class="Body">UG: Hi Mindy! Good to be here. I’m Ursula Grey. I write mainstream women’s fiction, romance, and erotic romance. Thus far, I’ve been published by eXcessica, and Siren-Bookstrand. I’m also a genre-crossing writer ~ I love historical fiction, science fiction, erotic romance, and literary fiction. I hope to one day publish something in each of these genres! I would consider Second Chances, the work I’d like to discuss today, a work of romantic suspense, but it’s a little bit of everything.</p> <p class="Body">An interesting fact about me? Gosh, I didn’t know I was so boring! Let me see...I practice yoga, how about that? It’s good for the body and the soul. I’ve never once become bored with it. It’s very rewarding to master a posture you never thought you’d be able to get your body into!</p> <p class="Body">If I were an animal, what would I be? Hmm, tough question. Although I prefer my current human form;-), I suppose maybe a dolphin. They are playful, intelligent creatures, and inhabit warmer waters...I’d definitely have to live somewhere warm!</p> <p class="Body" style="margin-left: 13pt; text-indent: -13pt;"><span style=""><span style="">MM:<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Tell us a bit about your book -- something you wouldn’t find in the blurb.</p> <p class="Body">UG: Second Chances is definitely about overcoming obstacles, your past, your fears, and living up to your full potential. The three main characters are quite dear to me, especially Jeanne, who was very similar to an old friend of mine. Despite the fact that quite a few decades separated us, once we spoke, our respective ages disappeared and we became good friends. She taught me that it was never too late to live your dreams.</p> <p class="Body" style="margin-left: 13pt; text-indent: -13pt;"><span style=""><span style="">MM:<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>What was your inspiration for this story?</p> <p class="Body">UG:The portrayal of women in the media, specifically the elusive and unrealistic quest to be perfect; the desire to be more than your environmental circumstances allow; and falling in love with Paris and all of France! The three main female characters came to me requesting their stories be told ~ and they wanted a happy ending. I obliged!</p> <p class="Body" style="margin-left: 13pt; text-indent: -13pt;"><span style=""><span style="">MM: </span></span>Do you consider yourself a plotter or a pantser?</p> <p class="Body">UG: Definitely a pantser, which I sometimes pay for later during the editing process. I’ve tried to outline, but invariably, I end up going off in a direction I hadn’t planned, ie., I go where my characters lead me. In general, most of my work starts with a scene, and the story builds from there.</p> <p class="Body" style="margin-left: 13pt; text-indent: -13pt;"><span style=""><span style="">MM:</span></span>When diving into a new work, how much research do you do and how do you go about doing it?</p> <p class="Body">UG:I write the story and when I’m not directly involved in doing that, I refer to my research library or the internet to fill in the gaps. There’s definitely more research involved when I’m writing an historical work. Accuracy is very important to me, but I also enjoy the research. It’s intriguing. It usually leads to another story that’s waiting to be told. I’m very interested in ancient civilizations, mythology and folklore, along with France and England during the Middle Ages. I’ve amassed some knowledge of these periods, but refer to reference sources for in-depth information.</p> <p class="Body" style="margin-left: 13pt; text-indent: -13pt;"><span style=""><span style="">MM:<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>If you could be one character from your book, who would it be and why?</p> <p class="Body">UG:I’d have to choose Delia, the teen in Second Chances. Although she’s had some hard knocks, she’s beautiful and talented, living in France, and has her entire life before her! That was easy!</p> <p class="Body" style="margin-left: 13pt; text-indent: -13pt;"><span style=""><span style="">MM:<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>And if you had to be stuck in an elevator for 42 hours with one of your characters...?</p> <p class="Body">UG: Another easy one! I’d choose the handsome and mysterious artist, Karl. He’s good looking, intelligent, and talented. We’d discuss much art during that period...</p> <p class="Body" style="margin-left: 13pt; text-indent: -13pt;"><span style=""><span style="">MM: <span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>What was the hardest part of writing this book?</p> <p class="Body">UG:Editing. I think it behooves any writer to set your book aside for a month or two after completion and look at it later with fresh eyes. You’ll wonder how you missed such glaringly obvious errors!</p> <p class="Body" style="margin-left: 13pt; text-indent: -13pt;"><span style=""><span style="">MM:</span></span>Why romantic suspense? Do you write any other subgenres of romance?</p> <p class="Body">UG:I think there’s a little suspense in every story. It’s what keeps us turning the pages. I also write erotic romance. A Day in April 1944, published by eXcessica, takes place during WWII. It features a day and night in the life of a French woman working for the Resistance ~ and what happens when she shelters an American pilot for the night. It received recommended read status at Dark Diva, Fallen Angel, and the Literary Nymphs review sites. I’m also published in a recently released anthology by eXcessica entitled, Divine Matches. If you enjoy reading about mythological beings, check it out. My story, Heph’s Revenge, features Hephaestus and what happens when he discovers his wife Aphrodite may have a thing for Apollo. It has a humorous edge and was fun to write. I’m also waiting to hear on a submittal, (an erotic romance that takes place in the Old West), and am working on a few other projects. Along with the publishers sites, all my work is available on Amazon.</p> <p class="Body" style="margin-left: 20pt; text-indent: -20pt;"><span style=""><span style="">MM: <span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>What books have most influenced your writing or your outlook on life in general?</p> <p class="Body">UG:I’m an avid fiction reader with many favorite authors including: Rose Tremain, Joyce Carol Oates, Margaret Atwood...I could go on! Visit my website for more recommendations. </p> <p class="Body">As far as nonfiction, I have to say that Clarissa Pinkola Estes book, Women Who Run With the Wolves, had a great impact on me. I loved the short story in the book entitled, The Wolf’s Eyelash. After reading it, I “went out in the woods” and never looked back;-). If you haven’t already, definitely read it.</p> <p class="Body"><span style=""><span style="">MM:</span></span>Quick! The Departed, Shutter Island, or Inception?<br /></p> <p class="Body">UG:Call me crazy, but I haven’t seen any of them! (I assumed they were movies and looked them up to confirm that, yes indeed, they were.) Not much of a movie buff...however, one of my favorites is a French (of course) film entitled, Ridicule.</p> <p class="Body" style="margin-left: 20pt; text-indent: -20pt;"><span style=""><span style="">MM:<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Anything I didn’t ask you about that you want to shout out to the world?</p> <p class="Body">UG:All great questions Mindy. Just want to say, Read Me Please! and let me hear from you! Thanks for having me. Also, looking forward to your visit:-). 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Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="21" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="31" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="32" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";} </style> <![endif]--> </p><p class="Body">Blurb for Second Chances:<br /></p> <p class="Body">Chance encounters bring together three women from very different walks of life and with little in common except for the desire to obtain a second chance at life and perhaps even love.</p> <p class="Body">A mysterious birthday gift, a husband's devastating deception, and a secret past during World War II send the women on an unforgettable journey to France that will change their lives forever. Will Delia, the young runaway, find the father she never knew, a father who knows nothing of her existence? Will one impulsive night change Gwen, a soon-to-be-divorcee's, life forever? Can Jeanne, a French war bride, face her past and rekindle a romance with a lost love? When Delia disappears, the answers to these questions must wait.</p> <p class="Body">"Are second chances really possible? Can dreams come true? I'm here to tell you the answer is yes if you're willing to take a chance and take that first step. The inspiration for Second Chances was born of the knowledge that anything is possible, if you're open to the possibilities. Go ahead, it's your turn. Take that first step today." ~ Ursula ~</p> <p class="Body">Buy link:<span style=""> <a href="http://www.bookstrand.com/second-chances"> </a></span><a href="http://www.bookstrand.com/second-chances">http://www.bookstrand.com/second-chances</a><span style=";font-family:";font-size:10pt;color:#000000;" ></span></p>Mindy MacKayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04291851417551468618noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502077383752455581.post-11363647324949428112011-01-08T23:36:00.000-08:002011-01-08T23:38:10.587-08:00Hokay, So.Over the next seventeen weeks, I'm going to be participating in like, this HUGE interview ring involving romantic suspense, which is incidentally my favorite subgenre of romance. Every Friday I'll post a new interview, and every week I'll be at someone else's blog.<br /><br />So keep your boots tight and keep your gun close...<br /><br />Just thought you oughtta know.<br /><br />Love you, chickadees! <3Mindy MacKayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04291851417551468618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502077383752455581.post-25680410074166172162011-01-06T20:45:00.000-08:002011-01-06T20:57:51.684-08:00On plot twists.I pondered today.<br /><br />I sat pondering for about forty-five minutes over the value of plot twist in genre fiction.<br /><br />It's a necessary thing. You don't pick up a book if you know exactly what's going to happen. But how do we determine what a good plot twist is?<br /><br />Consider Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club. Great twist, right? I won't spoil it for those of you who haven't read it, but it kept us surprised without being ridiculous. Now consider M. Night Whatshisname's Lady in the Water. Okay. So. There's a secret world in your swimming pool and people come out, and if they choose you, you're marked for a future of greatness...what?<br /><br />While the former is extremely deliberated down to each meticulous detail, the latter sounds like it was conceived on the fly.<br /><br />Readers of bizarro fiction will know all about these nonsensical premises. Aficionados will tear me apart for this post. Well, I say fire away. One can insist to no end about how "anything is art", but in the end, painting a hammer red and gluing it onto a block of wood hardly constitutes art. You can give it all the meaning you want in retrospect, but show me the effort, the deliberation, that went into it, and maybe then I'll change my mind.<br /><br />There's obviously a difference between taking a phenomenon, such as irony or a character's mental instability, and applying it in a creative and unexpected way, and conjuring up deus-ex-machina out the wazoo for the sake of being different. My question was, how can you tell the difference? Where do you draw the line between a good plot twist and a decadent love of the bizarre?<br /><br />So I asked my psychology teacher's opinion, and after some brainstorming, here's the general summary of our conclusion:<br /><br />You have bizarre art. Within that subdivision, there's good bizarre and bad bizarre. In order for a plot twist to be good and not just ridiculous, it needs to be relevant--advance the plot, convey a meaning, supplement the work. If it does that, congrats, artist, you're on your way to mastery. If the bizarre element IS the entirety of the work's substance--nothing below the surface--well then.Mindy MacKayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04291851417551468618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502077383752455581.post-81025704809240273712010-11-17T20:10:00.000-08:002010-11-17T20:11:22.531-08:00Just a guest blog post...http://moth-insertwittytitlehere.blogspot.com/2010/11/guest-blogger-character-interview-with.html<br /><br />Please check it out! Comments are much appreciated.Mindy MacKayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04291851417551468618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502077383752455581.post-67120654437312120032010-10-12T17:09:00.000-07:002010-10-12T17:13:54.591-07:00A Great Week So Far!Hey guys! Let me tell you what all happened to me in the last two days.<br /><br />I read <span style="font-style: italic;">Lovin' Leela</span> by <a href="http://www.nichellegregory.com/">Nichelle Gregory</a> 'cause I won a free e-copy in a raffle, and you know what, guys? This is pretty good. I want all my male friends to buy this book, read it, and take a few hints--that should give y'all some insight into the quality of the, uh, content.<br /><br />But it's more than that, though. The story really speaks to me about trust and what it takes to open up to someone and build a relationship. I definitely recommend this book.<br /><br />Took a trip to the art museum today, and it was splendid. Saw some lovely art, took some sub-par pictures with my phone, and I may be posting those later.<br /><br />All in all, these last two days have done much to leave me inspired and invigorated. It's rare that I feel this pumped about life.<br /><br />Well, until next time, a bientot, chickadees!!Mindy MacKayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04291851417551468618noreply@blogger.com2