Romance Author Hotspot

Our party-guest of honor today is Cynthia Woolf, please join me in welcoming her!

How did you get started writing?

I wrote my first story when I was about ten.  It was a romance about me and a little boy I liked.  I also wrote some very depressing poetry.  I decided that poetry was not for me and stuck to romance.

What genre(s) do you write in and why?

I have a historical western romance and a sci-fi romance out now.  The sci-fi is the first in a series.  I write in these genre’s because they are the ones whose stories reached out to me.  The western was the first book I wrote and was inspired by my parents love story.  It’s set on the same ranch that they met on in 1941.  My book is set in 1885, so it’s not their love story.  My dad was a cowboy and trapper but to the best of my knowledge was never a bounty hunter.

The sci-fi series was done because of dreams I had when I was a teenager.  I knew I was a princess from Alpha Centauri.  There was no way I could belong to the crazy family I had.  Of course, I adore that crazy family now.

What is your favorite part of writing?

My favorite part is what I call the ‘puking’ phase.  Just getting it all down on paper for the first time.  You just let if flow out of you, not caring, for the moment, if it is good or bad.

What is your favorite dessert or food?

Carrot cake with cream cheese icing.  My mother made the best.  Since she passed away in 2008 I haven’t been able to find any that are as good.  And believe me I’ve looked.

What is most difficult for you to write?  Characters, conflict or emotions?  Why?

The hardest for me to write is conflict.  I avoid conflict in my real like as though it was the plague.  So I tend to try and do that with my characters as well.  Thank goodness for my critique group who are like an enforcer and make me put in the conflict the story needs.

What is your next project and when will it be released?

My current book is called TAME A WILD WIND.  It is the second book in the western series and was released on March 9, 2012.

Now I’m working on the second sci-fi series called the Swords of Gregara.  The first book in the series is JENALA, the second is RIZA and the third is TALA.

Who does your covers?  They are fantastic. 

One of my dear friends, critique partner and fellow author, Jennifer Zane does my covers.  She is multi talented.  Her current release is Gnome on the Range.  It’s a hysterically funny book about what can happen when a woman buys a couple of garden gnomes at a garage sale for her sons.  Try the book you’ll love it.

All of my books are available on Amazon.

Tame A Wild Wind, http://amzn.to/ySbtTv

Tame A Wild Heart, http://amzn.to/vu62X7

Centauri Dawn, http://amzn.to/uDMkCY

Centauri Twilight, http://amzn.to/s30WPD

Centauri Midnight, http://amzn.to/wdADsZ

BLURB:

Former Texas Ranger Sam Colter isn’t looking for love.  Neither is pretty widow Cassie O’Malley.  But when a man stalking Sam for killing his brother kidnaps Cassie, Sam discovers it’s more than duty that sends him racing to her rescue.  Will Cassie realize the truth about her own feelings before it’s too late?

Thankyou to Cynthia for stopping by!  Cynthia is quite awesomely hosting a double giveaway that will end Friday night.  She is offering: 2 ebook copies of her book “Tame A Wild Wind” to a randomly selected commenter below!  If youlike what you’ve read you can find Cynthia:

       Twitter:    http://www.Twitter.com/CynthiaWoolf

Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/CynthiaWoolf

Website:    http://www.cynthiawoolf.com

Today our guest of honor is a wonderful person whom* WordPress conspired to keep off the Blog last Wednesday.  We’re delighted to have her back today!  A thousand more apologies and thank you Bonnie McCune for coming back to hang out!

What made you decide to become a writer?  Have you always envisioned yourself a writer?

I’ve always thought books were magic and storytelling the most important talent anyone can have.  When I was a kid, I was younger and smaller than my classmates and couldn’t quite catch on how to behave.  So I escaped through books.  As I went through school, I found I had a facility for writing.  But being practical, I first applied my skills to work in public relations and communications, including free lance nonfiction writing.  I’ve also simultaneously written fiction, but I didn’t start publishing that until much later in life.

Why do you write romance?

Romance is just one type of writing for me.  I also write general “women’s” fiction.  Romance is a favorite because I can create a world in which the good gals and guys win.  I can indulge in optimism, not always possible in the real world.

How long have you been writing for? And how would you describe your publication journey?

I was ten when I submitted my first work to Saturday Evening Post, a poem about rain rushing down the gutter (it was immediately rejected).  Ever since then, I’ve been a writer.  At that time I had visions of my name living on, like Homer who wrote The Iliad.  Since then I’ve become much more realistic.  I realized my skills could be used on the job as well as freelancing nonfiction articles.  Years of rejection taught me just how difficult it is to get published in any way, shape or form; and it’s been much more difficult to publish fiction.  Who knows why I’ve kept at it—probably the occasional publication encouraged me.

A quote from someone–”No one ever said on the deathbed, ‘I wish I had spent more time in the office.’”  This is NOT true in my case when it comes to writing.  I wish I’d spent more time writing.  Where would I have taken the time from?  Certainly not my family and friends—they deserve every minute.  Not my job or volunteer activities.  I guess it would have been to spend less time fooling around or watching tv and more time writing.  Another important lesson I learned in the past few years has been the necessity of REwriting and REwriting and REwriting.

What inspires you? Where do you get your ideas?

Everyday life and ordinary people are the most fantastic source of situations, characters, and plots.  Rudyard Kipling said, ‘The world is so full of a number of things, I’m sure we should all be as happy as kings.’  If you pick up a newspaper or watch the television news, you’ll see something so funny, scary or interesting, you don’t have to look far.  Then a writer simply adds a question—What if?

Are you a plotter or pantser? What is your routine?  Are there any weird things that you do before you start to sit down to write?

I used to be a pantser.  I thought that fiction sprang fully formed from the writer’s mind.  Now I know it’s a blend of inspiration, work, critiquing, and more work.  This actually is more satisfying because the writer feels part of the process, not just a conduit.  I also have been helped by taking several workshops in which the instructor broke novel-writing down into outlines, work charts, and similar organized methods.  I’ve found it helpful to take my work through these tools, not just once, but over and over as I write and rewrite.  As for weird things—not really.  I find a regular schedule helps me.  I try to write every day for an hour or two.  If I miss occasionally, so be it.  Oops, I do have some traits people might think strange.  I used to be a smoker, and I substituted eating sunflower seeds in the shell for cigarettes.  Also I have an autoimmune condition that affects my legs, so I’m always searching for a comfortable position in which to write.  I buy different chairs and cushions and rotate among them to work.  So if you walk into my office, you find lots of misplaced furniture in the middle of piles of sunflower seeds.  And I usually have the television on.  Unlike many people, I don’t need isolation and quiet.  I grew up in a large, noisy family and learned to concentrate in the middle of chaos.

What characteristics do all your heroes/heroines have in all your stories?

I find that almost every piece of fiction I write addresses confronting some sort of fear that’s limiting a main character.  I’d like readers to feel that action is worth taking, if just to grow within themselves.  The heroines also tend to be naïve, sympathetic, and curious.

What genres do you read? Do you read what you write?

I read anything that seems good (as in well written) and frequently take suggestions from friends and book reviewers.  I have a soft spot for the classics—A Tale of Two Cities, Pride and Prejudice—and wish I had more guidance in excellent contemporary books, such as The Things They Carried.  My grandchildren are now advising me.  The Hunger Games trilogy was a real find that came via them.  I read sci fi, but only the soft kind—sometimes called space opera or sociological.  Women’s novels, romance of different kinds.

What writing resources do you abide by as a writer?

As I said, sunflower seeds in the shell.  Continual reading of good books to use as models.  My critique group, which I’ve been a part of for 12 years now.

What advice would you give aspiring authors?

See my bruised forehead?  (Imagine it.)  I got that beating my head against a brick wall.  If you don’t have a “calling,” if you don’t have an obsession to write fiction, I’d advise you to stop now.  Otherwise, write, write, write; read, read, read.  The publication process is yet another challenge, to be addressed at a different time.

What are you working on right now?

I’ve finished a women’s novel about two old women who “adopt” an Asian student, called “The Company of Old Ladies.”  I’m also working on a novella about a single soccer mom for Valentine’s Day and brainstorming a romance based on a small town in Colorado that sponsored a weight loss competition for all its citizens.  It will have something about forest fires, because those are on everyone’s mind  right now.  The smoke is every where, even for those who don’t live close to a fire.

What do you find most challenging about being a writer?

1.  Getting published.  Today social media and the Internet are      over-riding all over types of marketing; and I’m waaaaayy behind the      times.  I don’t understand how other      people manage to keep up, whether they’re writers, readers, businesspeople,      teenagers  or whatever.  For example,      I’d never heard of the term “author tagline” until it came up on this      blog.
2. Critiquing      my own work.  I’m still a novice at      this.  I want everyone to think      everything I write is wonderful from the get-go.  It hasn’t worked out this way.  So I have to look at the market (what’s      selling), what I want to write, and apply the skills I have.

What news would you like to share with your readers?

I try to keep my webpage updated with notices on publications.  I have several short stories published recently or to be published soon.

Where can readers find you?

1. Twitter:  Sorry, still behind the times
2. Facebook:    http://www.facebook.com/bf.mccune
3. Website:   www.BonnieMcCune.com
4. Others: Goodreads:   http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8207907-bonnie-mccune

Bonnie is also offering a prize! One electronic version of A SAINT COMES STUMBLING IN will go to a random commenter, ask her about challenges writers encounter, beg her to get that Twitter, or just say hello! 

Bio:

Bonnie McCune credits her tenacity for the successes in her life, and A Saint Comes Stumbling In is proof. Since fifth grade, she has been determined to be a writer. This is her first published novel, but her interest in writing led to her career in nonprofits doing public and community relations and marketing. She’s worked for libraries, directed a small arts organization and managed Denver’s beautification program. Simultaneously, she’s been a free lance writer with publications in local, regional, and specialty publications for news and features. Her main interest now is fiction writing, and her pieces have won several awards. Her civic involvement includes grass-roots organizations, political campaigns, writers’ and arts’ groups, and children’s literacy.

For years, she entered recipe contests and was a finalist once to the Pillsbury Cook Off. A special love is live theater. Had she been nine inches taller and thirty pounds lighter, she might have been an actress. For reasons unknown (an unacknowledged optimism?), she believes that one person can make a difference in this world. McCune lives in Colorado, where she’s been married to the same man forever, and has two children and three grandchildren.  Read more about Bonnie at www.BonnieMcCune.com.

BLURB:

Can a rejected wife conquer self-doubt, trap a criminal, and win love? A patron saint might help…

Thirty-something Joan Nelson has more to contend with than a biological clock or an identity crisis. Despite her ardent belief in a conventional marriage, she finds herself deserted for a younger, slimmer woman. Lacking any skills or education, she’s thrust unprepared into the nightmare challenge of making a living for the first time in her sheltered existence.

A job as a receptionist in a law firm is the first rung on the ladder to her independence. Yet the taste of success sours when Joan considers the emptiness of her personal life. How can she reconstruct her damaged life and heal her bruised ego? Ill-equipped for the singles scene, she embarks on a confusing, sometimes frightening, new lifestyle.

When Joan stumbles on a crime perpetuated by a charming cad, she must defy her boss, jeopardize her newly won stability, and reject her friends. Her namesake, Joan of Arc, provides a model of courage and insight. If she risks danger and uncertainty, will she discover that independence and adulthood can be both enjoyable and fulfilling? Does optimism beat pessimism? Who would have dreamed her final victory could solve a childhood puzzle while it brings her true love?

Excerpt: A Saint Comes Stumbling In

A persistent chime from the doorbell finally breaks through my musings. Who would come over unannounced? Tempted to ignore the summons, I sidle along the wall so the visitor can’t see me through the window, put an eye to a crack in the curtain. “Kevin!” I throw the door open. “What are you doing here?”

No slob he, Kevin wears an impeccable business suit, pale blue shirt and paisley tie. Even more impressive are his freshly combed hair and congenial greeting. At the end of a long, grueling work day, Kevin bears no signs of fatigue or defeat. Unlike paranoid and depressed me, whose rumpled, dingy sweatsuit, faded from grey into a streaked greige, matches my attitude.

“I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d drop by to discuss several informal offers on the house,” he says.

“In the neighborhood? Get serious. This is miles from your place. You’re a sweetheart to worry about me after I wailed on your shoulder the other day. Come in and have some coffee.”

Turning to go back to the kitchen, I catch just a glimpse of a flush that mounts Kevin’s face. As I move from cupboard to sink to counter, chattering about the computer incident and my fears, I also notice his unusual reticence.

“So you see I’m working off nervous energy as well as preparing to move,” I say with a gesture at the open cupboards and the cups teetering in stacks on the table where Kevin sits. “If I get fired, I couldn’t bear having to pound the pavement again. My ego was totally destroyed. I don’t know which type of rejection I preferred—the unanswering void of some potential employers who didn’t bother to respond to an application or the politely worded rebuffs.”

As if unfolding a letter, I pretend to quote. “We sincerely thank you for applying. Although you met the requirements for the position, we regret to inform you that other candidates were better qualified. Therefore we are unable to offer you the position of ‘you-fill-in-the-blank’. We wish you good luck in your job search.”

Kevin shakes his head so emphatically he destroys his combing job. “You can’t let rejection discourage you. I get dozens of rejections every day. How could I ever close a sale if I allowed the no’s to slow me down?”

I return to my cupboard. “Easy for you to say. I was desperate for a job. James had walked out and I had no income when my mother alerted me to the opening at the law firm. I was grateful for her assistance. Pride prevented me from asking James or my family for financial help. I found pride was the last quality I needed after seven weeks of hopeless, fruitless inquiry. I couldn’t bear to go through the process again.”

Three shelves in the cupboards are clear. I look at the stack of miscellaneous mugs heaped on the top shelf and decide to discard them. An array of assorted colors and sizes, they proclaim cute sayings on their sides such as, “If you think today was bad, wait until tomorrow,” and, “Keep your paws off!” or “Mondays are God’s punishment for weekends.”

I shudder as I climb on a stool for a better look. James and I used to exchange the mugs regularly on birthdays, a kind of contest to see which one could find the ugliest or rudest. Until two years before the break-up, I suddenly realize. Another subtle sign of the disintegration of my marriage. I don’t need them as reminders.

Kevin’s voice breaks into my thoughts. “You won’t have to worry for long.”

I poke into another assortment that has been hidden at the very rear of the cupboard. “What do you mean?” I ask.

“About supporting yourself. Surely you have a very good friend waiting in the wings.”

Whirling around on the stool where I stand, I nearly fall over. I hook five or six mugs firmly over my fingers, clamber down, and advance on Kevin while brandishing the dishware. “Listen, mister, James is the charmer, the con man, the one with the sweetie-pie, not me. Was that way in school, remember? Every time I turned around, I had to pry him out of the hold of some adoring females, after a basketball game when he’d made a winning basket, hanging out in the park during the summers. Evidently, no difference after he finished college and started in business either. Don’t ask, don’t tell was my philosophy. I didn’t probe or spy. And I never was unfaithful to him, before or during marriage, and I resent your implication.”

Kevin recoils and leans back as far as possible in his chair. “Sorry. I’m the best one to know you weren’t. I don’t know why I said that.”

“What do you mean, you’re the best one to know?”

“Don’t you remember the pass I made at you just before you got married? The summer after high school?”

Thoroughly bewildered, I shake my head.

Kevin stands, puts his cup on the table, shoves his hands in his pockets, thereby disarranging his suited perfection. “Not an incident to be proud of, to put moves on a friend’s girl. The party when James had to leave because his dad was out of town and his mom called to say his little sister was sick? He left and I got you in a corner to nuzzle?”

I lower my arms to my sides, still holding the mugs. The action matches my dropping jaw. “That was a pass?”

Kevin is motionless, as if my comment is sinking into his consciousness, until he throws back his head and laughs. “I don’t know whether to be offended you found me so inept or grateful you haven’t resented my action all these years.”

“I thought you were just practicing. Everyone necked constantly with anyone in reach. They were like puppies or kittens squirming around to learn about their bodies. I didn’t know you were serious.”

“And if you had known?” Kevin asks. A silence stretch between us. I don’t know where to look, so I stare at my toes. “Ah, well, now is not the time for what-ifs. We’re all grown up. Like a brother and sister, right?” He reaches for some of the mugs to help pack them.

“If you hold it, you keep it,” I warn. “These are discards.”

“One. Only one,” Kevin says, touching my hand lightly with all his fingertips. “So, there’s no one in your life?”

Now it’s my turn to flush. “Well, a guy in the offices at work is interesting. We haven’t gone out, though.”

Kevin’s fingers grasp one particularly grotesque mug which resembles a stony gargoyle. “This will do as a memento. Time for me to take off.”

“I thought you were going to tell me about some offers,” I protest.

“Until earnest money’s involved, an offer’s not serious. No, don’t bother,” he says when I make motions as if to walk him to the door. “I’ll find my way out.”

Don’t forget, a random commenter will recieve a free copy of the book the above excerpt is from (A SAINT COMES TUMBLING IN) – thank you so much Bonnie for stopping by!

Today, our star of honor is JK Coi. It’s so nice to have you here and shining! I’m sure you’re ready to share with us your success and many fun endeavors. So, let’s get on with the party!

Wow, thanks so much for letting me visit. I’m so excited!

BIO:

J.K. Coi is a multi-published, award winning author of contemporary and paranormal romance and urban fantasy. She makes her home in Ontario, Canada, with her husband and son and a feisty black cat who is the uncontested head of the household. While she spends her days immersed in the litigious world of insurance law, she is very happy to spend her nights writing dark and sexy characters who leap off the page and into readers’ hearts.

She also writes dark fantasy for young adults as Chloe Jacobs (www.chloejacobs.com)

Let’s get to know you a little better. Why don’t you step over here under the spotlight and shine a little.

First questions: (I’ll go easy on you.)

LOL, thanks! These interviews always make me nervous. What if I get asked a really hard question, like…

What made you decide to become a writer?

Yeah, see? Hard questions already. LOL

Honestly, I don’t remember deciding to become a writer. I’ve always been a big reader, and I was always writing too. Little things like poetry and short stories. One day I sat down and started writing something a little different (I guess there must not have been anything on tv) and before I knew it I’d gotten three hundred and some-odd pages into a book. When it was finished, my hubby said. “Sure, that’s great. But what are you going to do now?”

What inspires you? Where do you get your ideas?

Inspiration can strike from such random things, and sometimes I’m kind of embarrassed to admit where I get inspiration. You see, I write dark stories. Emotionally scarred people. Horrible circumstances. I once got inspiration for a story by watching a couple arguing. I got inspiration from hearing about an earthquake another time. It’s not pretty the way my mind works.

Do you beat your muse? I mean…Wait! Do you have a muse? Does he/she have a name?

I have a muse. I call her Beeyotch. ‘Nuff said?? – Seriously, I sometimes have to beat her into submission. I’m at the point in my writing career where I can’t afford to let the muse dictate when and what I will write about. I’m on a schedule and I have to stick to it, so sometimes that means writing when I don’t feel like it, and writing a particular story even if the plot bunnies attack.

Let’s talk about your writing process. Are you a plotter or pantser? Are there any weird things that you do before you start to sit down to write? (Like stretch those fingers…? Scream at the computer…?)

I have to get the email and internet stuff out of the way before I start writing. When I’m at home, that means I get up early and go online. Answer emails, pop on twitter and facebook and then turn it all off. Like. OFF. I have to unplug the router and everything. I can’t allow the distraction of internet being available at just a click of the button or I’m done-for. *shaking head* Pathetic, I know.

What is your call story?

My very first book was sold to a small e-publisher in 2007 in a four-book series. I was ecstatic!! When I got the email, I was jumping up and down and we went out to dinner to celebrate! Then, I talked to a lawyer buddy of mine and we looked at the contract. After I signed, and realized the first book would be coming out in 2008, and then I would have to deliver three more manuscripts I started to panic! LOL

Of all the books I’ve written since then, those first four are still close to my heart, and I’m actually very pleased to be able to say that they’ll be re-released soon! My Immortals series is going to be published by Ellora’s Cave. I’ll have details on the website about that as soon as I can.

Have you always envisioned yourself a writer? What were you doing before you started writing? Has your earlier career influence your current one?

I still work a day job in the legal field even now. I like the opportunity to get out of my own head for a while every day and the job I do is interesting. I don’t know that it has influenced my career, but when I start writing a spin off of “The Good Wife” I’ll let you know, LOL

Where do you see yourself 5 years from now with your writing career?

I can only hope that five years from now I’ll still be writing. That’s really all I want to do is write. I want to try different genres and different styles, but for me I’m happy just to put those words on the page.

What is the hardest thing you’ve had to overcome in your writing career so far?

Bias. I started publishing digitally when digital didn’t get much respect. Not only that, I was writing sexy romances. I’m very happy to say that attitudes about both digital publishing and romance have improved in the few years I’ve been writing, but I think there’s still a way to go.

Now let’s talk more about you. If you could pick to live the life of a movie star, who would it be and why? Does this person show up in your stories?

Oh, the fun questions!

If I could be a movie star, I’d be Leo DiCaprio. He got great roles when he was younger (who wouldn’t want to be one of Shakespeare’s tragic heroes, or get to travel on the Titanic?) such that now he only picks the movies he’s really interested in doing. I like the idea of having his kind of freedom.

Through research, what is the most silly thing you’ve ever done?

I’ve researched everything from ancient mythology, demonology, biomechanics, fairy tales, zombie lore, the mob, FBI procedure, and…pole dancing.

What genres do you read? Do you read what you write?

I read what I write. I read pretty much everything and anything,  actually.

What’s the last book you’ve read for fun? Did you read it on an e-Reader or are you still a paperback-kind-of-person?

I just got back from vacation, so I did some reading last week. I had Executive Decision by Mandy M. Roth and Wolf Signs by Vivian Arend on my ereader, and I had the Maze Runner by James Dashner in paperback. Right now I’m going to start on Chasing Magic by Stacia Kane.

What did you wish you had known back then when you began writing?

I guess I wish I had better understood the cyclical nature of publishing. Everyone said “You can’t write that, that genre is so dead.” and “We’re not taking those kinds of books.” but times change and genres get revitalized. I also wish I had realized earlier that there would be more than one path to success for me. It would have saved a lot of early frustration. I’m so glad that authors have so many options to get their work in front of readers, from the traditional NY publishing route, to self publishing, etc.

Is there anything else you’d want your readers and friends to know about you?

I also write YA as Chloe Jacobs (who’s way more fun—just kidding). My debut YA is coming out in November and it’s called GRETA AND THE GOBLIN KING. Basically, it’s Hansel and Gretel meets the Lost Boys meets Labyrinth. Dark and tortured characters. Kick-butt heroine. Awesome fantasy-style cover. I am really looking forward to release day and I’m hoping everyone loves the book as much as I do.

As I mentioned, my original Immortals series is being re-released soon with Ellora’s Cave, but book 2 of my Seasons of Invention series is coming in September from Carina Press. It’s called BROKEN PROMISES and continues Jasper and Callie’s story, who are also the hero and heroine of FAR FROM BROKEN – which is the book I’m giving away today!

I’m also looking forward to the release of an anthology in the early Fall which I’m participating in. Duty and Desire (edited by fantastic Kristina Wright) is a compilation of erotic stories with a military theme, and my story is called OUT OF TIME.

And…if all goes well…you’ll also be able to see something spooky from me around Halloween!

And lastly, where can we find you?

Email:   jkcoi@rogers.com

Twitter:   www.twitter.com/jkcoi

Facebook:   www.facebook.com/JKCoiAuthor

Website:   www.jkcoi.com

As Chloe Jacobs:

Email:    chloejacobs@rogers.com

Twitter:   www.twitter.com/jacobs_chloe

Facebook:   www.facebook.com/ChloeJacobsAuthor

Website:   www.chloejacobs.com

Thank you so much for being a star!

And thanks so much for letting me come and visit with you! I’ll be giving away a digital copy of my book, Far From Broken, so ask me more questions in the comments section to be entered. Thanks!!

Blurb:

FAR FROM BROKEN

Soldier. Spymaster. Husband.

Colonel Jasper Carlisle was defined by his work until he met his wife. When the prima ballerina swept into his life with her affection, bright laughter and graceful movements, he knew that she was the reason for his existence, and that their love would be forever.

But their world is shattered when Callie is kidnapped and brutally tortured by the foes Jasper has been hunting. Mechanical parts have replaced her legs, her hand, her eye…and possibly her heart. Though she survived, her anger at Jasper consumes her, while Jasper’s guilt drives him from the woman he loves. He longs for the chance to show her their love can withstand anything…including her new clockwork parts.

As the holiday season approaches, Jasper realizes he must fight not just for his wife’s love and forgiveness…but also her life, as his enemy once again attempts to tear them apart.

Excerpt:

The snow fell hard and fast, a wall of fluffy white obscuring the world through the frosty window until Jasper could almost believe there was no world at all beyond the train. That the steam pushed it along on rails into nothingness, taking him nowhere.

He snorted and shook his head. Ridiculous. He was definitely going somewhere.

After four months, he was finally going to retrieve his wife.

A sharp rap on the cabin door saved him from an examination of the uncomfortable, heavy sensation in his chest. He looked up through the thick square of glass inset into the door, and waved Murphy inside. The door slid open on a heavy rush of processed air.

“Colonel, we’ll be in Manchester within the hour. I’ve already wired the clinic to expect us before evening’s end and Mrs. Campbell has responded with confirmation that she will arrange for a carriage to pick us up.”

“Thank you.”

“Will you be needing anything more before we stop, then?”

“No, I don’t think so.” The only thing he needed was at the end of this long overdue journey.

“I’ll see to the luggage, and as soon as this iron death trap pulls to a stop we’ll be ready to roll.” Jasper resisted a smile at his lieutenant’s expense. Murphy had made his discomfort with their choice of transportation more than plain, but had refused to stay behind.

With a short bow, the man left him alone again and Jasper turned back to the window. His hand went to the inside pocket of his vest and closed around the pocket watch, but he didn’t remove it to check the time. There was no need. The train had started to slow already in anticipation of moving into the station. He felt the gentle drag pulling him deeper into the plush velvet seat.

Soon now. Soon he would be with Callie again.

It would be the first time he’d see her since leaving the clinic four months ago. He’d been ordered back into the field to hunt down the men responsible for her attack. It was believed that the same group was also behind the torture and death of a number of other British intelligence officers, including Colonel Wyndham—a friend of Jasper’s.

He had intended to defy those orders, needing to stay with Callie at the clinic. But when she’d finally awakened and her screams had only subsided when he was no longer in the room, it was decided his presence would hamper her physical progress, and the doctor had suggested he give her time to adjust. Callie’s health was, of course, far more important than his wishes, and so he’d gone.

Yes, he’d gone, but insisted on being sent a weekly wire with the details of each and every one of her operations, the drugs she’d taken and every facet of her difficult rehabilitation. The procedures undertaken for her recovery had been extreme, depending upon radical notions and the availability of sophisticated equipment.

He knew she’d refused to walk for a long time, still rarely spoke, and that she continued to experience terrible nightmares, although the doctor postulated that she didn’t remember much if anything of the actual attack. That the trauma of it had proven too much for her conscious mind, forcing her to lock it all away. He said he’d seen it in patients often enough. Since Jasper himself had witnessed what horrible trauma could do to even experienced, deadly soldiers, he almost approved of his hardheaded Callie pushing the bad memories out of her head rather than letting them consume her and take her sanity.

The only thing he didn’t know was how she would react when he arrived. If they could get past this. If they would ever be happy again.

His hand clenched into a fist in his lap as he remembered the sound of her laughter. He somehow doubted he’d hear that sound again soon, but he would do whatever it took to make it happen. For her, he’d try anything, give anything. Risk anything.

Just as she had risked all for him.

JK is awesome enough to be hosting a giveaway of her book “Far From Broken” for a randomly selected commenter below – let her know how awesome she is please! 

Today our party-hearty lady-friend is Donna Del Oro.  Please welcome her and Athena!

THE DELPHI BLOODLINE:

A smart, romantic thriller about an ancient bloodline of psychic women, the ruthless tycoon who wants to enslave them, the mysterious man who wants to protect them, and the modern-day descendant who must fight to stay alive and free!

Interviewer: You’re twenty-six, a lovely young woman and an acclaimed artist. Has it been difficult to maintain a low profile as a gifted psychic and heir of the Delphi Bloodline?

Athena: Oh yes! After I was attacked by the brother of a rapist I helped the San Francisco Police Department put away, I left the city and fled to the high desert of Nevada.

Interviewer: Is that where your brother, Chris, and Kas Skoros found you?

Athena: Much to my surprise, Chris shows up with this stranger, this Greek-American whose mother is a distant cousin to my own mother. After Mama disappears, they feel I am now at risk. At first, I don’t trust him—he’s too handsome, too slick, too…well, aggressive.

Interviewer: You’re an acclaimed artist who used to run an art gallery in San Francisco. Do you miss that part of your life, isolated up here in the mountains of Nevada?

Athena: Very much so! I want my life to return to normal as soon as possible. Here in Reno, I’m staying in practice by painting dead celebrities at a gallery inside a hotel-casino. Kas Skoros wants to be my Guardian, but I don’t need his help.

Interviewer: Dead celebrities?

 Athena: Yeah, like Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe. Because they’ve passed on, I don’t receive messages from their spirits. You see, whenever I touch someone, I get information about that person from The Flow.  I can’t touch dead celebrities, so I can concentrate on my painting and not on their inner souls and life experiences.

 Interviewer: You seem very independent and said you don’t need help from one of the Bloodline’s Guardians. Isn’t Kas Skoros there to help you? Save you from being kidnapped or worse?

 Athena: So he says. When he proves himself, I’ll start trusting him. I can’t touch him, for then I can read his mind. And what he has on his mind—regarding me—is X-rated!

 Interviewer: Huh, I wonder why. Well, good luck with that.

If you like what you’ve read you can find more from Donna Del Oro on her website: www.donnadeloro.com!

Please welcome special surprise guest Lynn Crain!  She was kind enough to step up for a party-pooper and we <3 her for it!!! 

Everyone knows I’m an erotic romance writer. I don’t hide the fact at all. If the story calls for some steamy hot sex, then the story gets that scene. The one thing I do get reminded of occasionally is the fact I used to be a blush queen growing up. This was brought home to me when I recently pulled up an article from another author who talked about her ‘blush-o-meter’ and it reminded me of how I used to be.

Growing up, it didn’t take much to get me going. I know I was the only high school senior to be photographed with the then President Gerald Ford who could compete with the sun. It has it good and bad points. Still, the story reminded me of my early days as an erotic romance writer and two specific times when blushing got me a lot of attention.

The first one was when I was asked to bring my very first completed book to a college gang party. These were the people I had learned to become an adult with and I had a lot of apprehension. These people had embarrassed me and held me when I cried or when I was sick. There were many good and bad memories with these folks.

I told the DH, Gordon, and he convinced me it was all good. But as we got closer to the party, the more trepidation I was feeling.

Once there, the manuscript was being handed around and then I started getting comments like, ‘great job’ and ‘I’ve never know anyone who completed a whole book before’ and then I saw one of my old college boyfriends reading it.

He walked up to me and stated, “You know if you’d done that to me, maybe we’d still be together.”

I could feel my face turning warm and I had to be very careful here. If I said the wrong thing, he’d think I still liked him or something. “Maybe I would have if you deserved that type of treatment.”

“Gordon must be a very lucky man.” He walked away as the DH walked up.

“What’s wrong with him?” DH asks.

“He got to the love scene.”

“Oh.”

“He said you were a lucky guy.”

“He did.” DH puffs up and says, “I think I’ll go talk to the guys.”

The college girl friends came up. “What’s up with the guys? And how about you…you’re blushing!”

“They’re all talking about the love scene.”

“No wonder you’re blushing!”
I looked at them and arched a brow. “Maybe I should remind all of your husbands, we all went to college together. After all I didn’t win a knockwurst contest.” Every other woman at the party had a face redder than mine. LOL! Revenge is soooo sweet!

The next big time that I can remember me really, really blushing was when I wrote my first BDSM story about six years ago now. It was also the last time that I can remember me having that particular affliction. I had to do a lot of what I considered covert research as I prepared to write this story of a woman’s darkest fantasies. Finally, I got the courage to just sit down and get it done. The whole day, I would write a sentence and get up to pace, wondering what I was doing since I knew nothing of that world. Still, I plugged away at it until I eventually got it right. It was the first thing I sold to eXtasy books. I was really surprised.

But half way into the process, my husband shocked me by showing up in my office. My face went from zero to RED in the span of less than 10 seconds.

“Something wrong?”

“No, why are you asking?”

He gives me his quirky smile and says, “There are only a few times I’ve ever seen you blush in twenty years.”

I sat still. “Really?”

“Yeah. It’s mainly when I caught you doing something you shouldn’t and when you’re thinking about sex.”

I gasped. “What makes you think I’m doing something I shouldn’t? I’m an adult.”

“With an antiquated idea about sex sometimes. If you’re going to really be an erotic romance writer, you have some changing to do.” He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’m sure that practice will help!”

I roll my eyes and tell him nothing is going to happen until I finish this story.

That very day, my whole attitude changed. I wasn’t ashamed of my writing at all. It was just that I was brought up in the Bible belt and as anyone who has grown up there knows, the fear of God and sex can be pounded into you from the moment you walk. And lordy, the brimstone…LOL! There is absolutely nothing wrong with sex. It’s a natural thing and we have such a backward sexual outlook in America that it took some retraining on my part to not let it worry me at all. Now, I barely bat an eye. There’s a private me and a writer me.

I advertise my very sexy books all the time and I do write to every heat level as the story dictates. I am passionate about all my books as every author should be. If you’re embarrassed about it, you don’t need to be writing it at all. I write what I love and nothing compromises that position. Sometimes my characters want the full Monty and others, they want it very sweet.

Now it’s my DH’s turn to blush every time he drives my car. My license plate says ERWRTER and he’s been asked many times what it means. I’ll show you all a picture sometime. He tells them the truth…it means…Erotic Romance Writer. The moment he tells the women, they get a gleam in their eye and say ‘Ah’ while the men just shake their heads and walk away, knowing they wouldn’t be caught dead in my car.

Let me know if you’ve ever had any embarrassing moments in your early days, authors.

Blurb from “The Harvester” in the Girl’s Night Out Series:

Princess Sky Xera Nerezsh came to earth to avoid the normal succession path to the throne. Being the oldest daughter, she will be required to murder her mother in order to secure her path to power. Sky loves her mother and refuses this path, choosing instead to disappear in the vast reaches of space. When her past collides with her present, she has to think quick on her feet, claim two men and a whole planet just to avoid the inevitable: a meeting with her mother. Along the way, she discovers true love and a burning need to be there for them always. Now if the other Harvesters can just keep to themselves, they’ll have no problems. But who said true love was ever easy.

If you enjoy what you’ve read you can find more from Lynn here:

 Email:  lynncrain@cox.net

Twitter:  www.twitter.com/oddlynn3

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/oddlynn3

Website:  www.lynncrain.com

Buylink: 

http://www.amazon.com/Harvester-Girls-Night-Out-ebook/dp/B008AP7ESI/ref=sr_1_15?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339491578&sr=1-15&keywords=Lynn+Crain

Hi all, there have been some difficulties getting posts in on time so that the blog can continue to have new content for our readers.

This is something we deeply regret and are working to retify.

If you are an author who is available to create a post, which may or may not be used, for us to keep in reserve please send an email to: RomanceAuthorHotspot@gmail.com

Thank you for your readership, you all are awesome!  Many more giveaways will be coming soon

Today, our star of honor is Anna DeStefano. It’s so nice to have you here and shining! I’m sure you’re ready to share with us your success and many fun endeavors. So, let’s get on with the party!

 It’s amazing to be here. Thanks for having me!

BIO:

 Best-selling, award-winning author Anna DeStefano wants to you stop, look, and keep digging, until you find the soul of your own fantasies. No matter how moody the setting or impossible the dilemma, Anna’s characters and stories challenge you to hope and dream for your own exciting future, the way her strong heroines and hunky heroes do. Her Forgotten Betrayal and over of Anna’s books have their own Pinterest pages (http://pinterest.com/annadestefano/her-forgotten-betrayal/). Scoot over for all the fun details and updates. Then join Anna’s blog each week for posts on The Soul Of The Matter, Dream Theories, Things My Teenager Says, How We Write, Waterfall Challenges, and more. And to keep up with all her 2012 releases, friend her of Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

 Let’s get to know you a little better. Why don’t you step over here under the spotlight and shine a little.

 Ouch! That’s hot (in a non-Paris Hilton sort of way). Let me get my shades and sunscreen… Ok. MUCH better ;o)

First questions: (I’ll go easy on you.)

No worries. I like it rough ;o)

What made you decide to become a writer?

I don’t think I really decided. I think I just am a writer, you know? If you get around to reading my extended bio on my website, you’ll see my detour through college and my first career in the “secure” world of corporate IT. Yet my knack for math and computer programming aside, I always ended up doing the writing on each project I worked or managed—until I specialized as a senior tech writer. At some point (and with some gentle nudging from my husband), it became clear I wasn’t going to be satisfied until I tried to write that book I’d always wanted to… That was something like 19 published/contracted novels ago ;o)

Resistance is futile, when your soul knows who you are long before you stop fighting the truth inside you.

What inspires you? Where do you get your ideas?

Water inspires me. I write beside it as often as I can. People inspire me, the good and the bad in them—they become the characters that come to me long before the stories. Hope inspires me, and the things we do as we cling to the belief in our own happily ever after. Love inspires me—I’ll always write romance, no matter what else a publisher chooses to call a book, so a reader will pick it up and discover what I’ve painted inside.

Do you beat your muse? I mean…Wait! Do you have a muse? Does he/she have a name?

This is turning into a violent sort of interview. Lovely!

My muse is the everyday, I think. Whether I’m writing a gothic thriller or a family drama, or something more edgy like my sci-fi/fantasy, I see the everyday in the amazing, other-wordly, healing, damaged, magnificent and ordinary ways I write my characters. I like to be funny, though I often am not. I like to be dark, so the light can shine more brightly when you reach that happy ending. I like to be in as many points of view as possible, so your can see rather than simply listen to what I’m saying.

My muse is my reader’s emotions, and how well I turn them toward what he/she needs to experience from the story. If I engage you and transport you and bring you to a place where you’re feeling my characters’ journeys the same as they are, then I’m in heaven.

Let’s talk about your writing process. Are you a plotter or pantser? Are there any weird things that you do before you start to sit down to write? (Like stretch those fingers…? Scream at the computer…?)

Before I start, I wanted. Shorelines, shopping malls (my natural habitat, my husband says), interior hikes into theNorth Georgiawilderness where I find my hidden waterfalls). I’m not plotting or planning at this point. I think I’m listening. And I’m more often than not alone, even when I’m in a room full of people. The things I need to discover about a story come from within, I think. Doesn’t that make me sound like a party animal!

I’m a pantser and a plotter ;o) I teach my odd method all the time, and the more I do the more people I discover who basically do the same thing, only they’ve never had a name for it.

I’m a pretty analytical person, so I live to plan and revise. Planning is all about character discovery for me—how the character comes to the story and how she’ll arc during her journey through it. Revision is about deconstructing how the story developed from my basic character and plot plans while I “pantsed” through the rough draft. I spend as much or more time revising as I do drafting every book, because that’s when I find myself at my most creative—once I know how the bones of the book will work. Then I get in there, figure out what I really want to do with all the pieces, and make the story shine.

What is your call story?

 I’d been trying to sell for about five years, had been “close” for two of those years, after regularly submitting material, having full manuscripts requested and rejected, revising for editors and entering/winning as many unpublished contests as I could. I’d really gotten to know well the editors of the Harlequin line I wanted to write for. I’d done my homework and paid my dues and kept writing, despite the let downs and bumps in the road.

My break came when I finaled in the 2003 Golden Heart. Two editors from my final round judges requested the book—one of them the senior editor at the line I ended up selling to. I won the GH, my agent came on board, I worked on spec revisions for Superromance, and within a year not only saw that book hit the shelves (and win a Gold Medal review from Romantic Times), but had contracts for three other novels (the second of which is just now being re-released by Harlequin’s Heartwarming imprint July 1^st of this year).

So, overnight success—after busting my ass for 5 years. And I haven’t stopped writing my heart out ever since ;o)

Have you always envisioned yourself a writer? What were you doing before you started writing? Has your earlier career influence your current one?

I’m a computer geek and a girl who loves technical writing—breaking down someone else’s process (mostly computer design and application in my career), and making it make sense to someone else. This skill helped me discover my own writing process pretty early on, and how to make the most of my time as I craft a new manuscript. It’s also helped me teach other fiction authors, and edit, the way I did as a tech writer.

And as I say to everyone I have this conversation with, being analytical is a bonus to a creative writer. Being able to create freely (drafting), while at the same time being able to see the different parts of what you do and how they fit together and then how to make them all work better as a whole, is a gift not every writer has. If that’s your strength, as it is mine, your challenge will be to trust your gift and engaging your creativity when you need to simply play and draft write freely—but the analytical side of you will always, if you let it, make what you create even better!

Where do you see yourself 5 years from now with your writing career?

My plan from the start has been to write for multiple publishers at the same time, which I have for the last three years. I don’t see that changing. And to be a best-selling author. Which I am.

But in the next five years of my career, I of course want to take that to another level, where more and more readers see me as a brand and auto-buy my books, whatever the genre or platform. I want to make my publishers wildly happy and successful, so in turn they will promote the heck out of my books, which will make me wildly happy and successful financially ;o) And I want to indie publish my own titles (my first self-pubbed romance will be out this fall), so I have the flexibility to write what I like and what I think my readers will love, without the middle-man of going through a publishing house/imprint.

Skies the limit in our industry these days. I want to be intuitive and take risks and write quality books readers enjoy and find more and better ways to get those stories into their hands so my career continues to grow and I can continue to create indefinitely—WHILE I send my son to college with the money I make ;o)

What is the hardest thing you’ve had to overcome in your writing career so far?

The downtime I encountered when I was sick a few years back. It was hard, but I don’t regret it. I’ve learned a lot from it. And as I’ve gotten back into the swing of my career, that time and experience has given me focus. Being away has inspired me to dive back in and revel. I’m so excited to have FOUR novels coming out in 2012. I’m grinning ear-to-ear at the possibilities and options all authors have in today’s publishing market. It’s a GREAT time to be an author!

Now let’s talk more about you. If you could pick to live the life of a movie star, who would it be and why? Does this person show up in your stories?

Um…Anyone with a killer shoe collection and a reason to wear them every day ;o) They’re my shopaholic obsession ;o)

Through research, what is the most silly thing you’ve ever done?

Actually, I’m a writer who does most of her research online, through reading books and articles, or exploring character. I’m not the kind of girl who stops cops on the freeway to ask them all kind of quirky questions…

What genres do you read? Do you read what you write?

Everything. Classics. Contemporary romance. Romantic suspense. Straight thrillers. Sci-fi/fantasy. Literary fiction. Words and characters and emotion. I read it, as much of it as I can, wherever I can find it.

My only rule is typically not to read in the genre I’m writing while I’m writing it. Muddles with the voice. So that’s when I mix things up the most and branch out when I need a break from my own work. You know, in all my free writing time ;o)

What’s the last book you’ve read for fun? Did you read it on an e-Reader or are you still a paperback-kind-of-person?

I just read Suzanne Brockmann’s entire category romance “SEAL” series, because I found it bundled for the Kindle. LOVE it. I love everything she writes, but I’ve never read all of those books in order/sequence.

I’m doing more reading than ever on an eReader, for the convenience of it, though when I find an author I know I’ll want to re-read a lot I’ll order the paper/hardcover online. I can’t tell you the last time I actually bought a book in a bookstore that didn’t come out of the remainder bin.

What did you wish you had known back then when you began writing?

To always stay true to your voice and the type of story you write, regardless of the shifts in the marketplace.

Publishing today is very different than it was eight years ago. Some of the sacrifices I made to continue writing for my first publisher sidetracked me for a while from what I’ll be writing the rest of my life—emotional, intense stories about broken people who heal and inspire all of us to find our own healing path. That’s a little dark for Harlequin, though I love all of my editors and books there.

But now more than ever there’s a place for the books I write to find readers who love them. If I’d known that all along, I’d have saved myself the worry and angst over how I’d re-make my voice into something more sellable in a single publisher’s lineup—and I’d have focused sooner on doing what I do best even better, knowing there’d be publishers lining up to work with me down the road (or that I could successfully publish my novels myself, if it came to that).

Is there anything else you’d want your readers and friends to know about you?

Um, I might write dark and stormy, but in reality I’m a snarky, smart-ass, fun-loving kid of girl ;o) I enjoy meeting readers and other writers, so look for me at your next conference or reader event. I’ll be the one with the long, dark hair on the dancefloor with my girlfriends and the cover models! Or check out my blog. We have a blast out there, too!

And lastly, where can we find you?

 Email: anna@annawrites.com

Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/AnnaDeStefano

Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/AnnaDeStefano

Website: www.annawrites.com and www.annawrites.com/blog

Thank you so much for being a star! (Please insert giveaway here if available.)

 I’ll be around to answer any questions you have… And Entangled Publishing is offering a free digital copy of Her Forgotten Betrayal to one lucky commenter!

Blurb:

Remembering will save her life. But will the truth destroy their love forever?

 When the CEO of a global technology empire retreats to her ancestral mountain mansion to heal from a brutal shooting, she discovers the danger has just begun. Suffering from amnesia, she is at the mercy of nightmares that soon morph into something much more real…as well as a menacing stalker determined to toy with her sanity.

The FBI suspects her of illegally selling top-secret research, and has sent an agent to find evidence of her treason. She doesn’t realize the man who sweeps in from the cold claiming to be her protector, and her former love, is keeping dangerous secrets from her. She begins to trust him, unaware that he is about to repeat the most painful betrayal of her past–a past she doesn’t remember…a past that may kill her.

“Dark danger and lush romance, Anna DeStefano mysteries deliver!” —Catherine Mann, USA Today Bestselling Author

“DeStefano crafts a tense and touching suspense about forgotten pasts and reunited lovers.” —Caridad Pineiro, NYT and USA Today Bestselling Author

“Intrigue, danger, and a hero to die for make DeStefano’s Her Forgotten Betrayal a page-turner!” —Rita Herron, Award-Winning Harlequin Intrigue Author

Excerpt:

A crash beyond the kitchen’s door jolted Shaw from her thoughts. The wooden spoon rattled from her fingers to the stovetop. She whirled toward the dining room.

“Esme?” She raised a hand to cover her heart.

She was scaring herself senseless for nothing. She was going stir crazy, that was all. She’d simply been alone for too long. The unexplained rattles and noises and sometimes even voices she kept thinking she heard were symptoms of cabin fever.

Right?

The house answered her with silence, except for the soft hum of the refrigerator. She took an uncertain step forward, determined to conquer her fear. There was no one there, she told herself firmly. No one was ever there. There was no threat, except from her own panic. All she had to do was turn on the dining room lights, and there’d be no one lurking around the next corner, waiting to attack her.

She reached for

“Sorry, Shaw,” the faceless, scratchy-voiced man whispered from her nightmare.

She clenched her hands into fists, her nails digging into her palms.

“Don’t be such a baby,” she said out loud. “Stop this.”

Fear and the amnesia it fed had stolen everything from her. She had no recollection of the four high-tech research centers she was said to oversee. Or how she’d come to be the sole living heir to an estate that included not only this mountain house near the North Carolina border, once used by her family as a summer retreat, but also a loft in Atlanta and homes on several other continents. And to add insult to injury, no one had yet been allowed to tell her more. Doctors orders.

She wanted her life back, damn it. She smoothed her hand against the dining room door, and braced herself to push it open. She could do this. She had to.

Sudden darkness swallowed the kitchen.

Her thoughts were immediately swamped with the panicked claustrophobia of being trapped in a closet, waiting to be discovered.

“No.” She blinked, willing the lights to come back on. Her imagination was merely playing tricks on her, anticipating the worst.

But regardless of how many times she tried to force the room into focus, there was nothing to see. Someone had killed the power for real. Her nightmare was coming true. It was waiting for her in the very next room.

She backed away.

Fell over one of the kitchen chairs.

Landed hard on her backside.

“There’s no one there,” she insisted. “The electricity’s gone out. That’s all.”

Something else crashed in the dining room, followed by the distinct sound of a man’s footsteps, inching closer. She covered her mouth with her hand. She scrambled backwards on the floor, her nightgown and robe twisting around her legs. Disjointed dream memories swirled through her mind. She lurched to her feet. She felt her way along the wall, blindly heading for the storage room and its back door to the outside world.

She was a fool, a weak, clueless fool. But she couldn’t stop herself from panicking.

“Kill the bitch…” the night whispered.

She clawed at the back door’s stubborn deadbolt. A glimmer of sanity kept her from running into the freezing, moonlit darkness. If she really was in danger, heaven only knew what waited for her outside the mansion’s protection. And there was suddenly nothing but silence behind her, no movement whatsoever.

She tried to believe this was just like all the other times when she’d freaked herself out and then realized how ridiculous she’d been. She was running from ghosts. She tensed to turn back, to confront her paranoia. And heard footsteps again. Closer than before. Behind her. Coming for her. And there she stood like a paralyzed idiot, trapped between the shadows beyond her family’s home and the nightmare crowding closer within.

A hand clenched in her hair. A gun pressed into her skin. When it fired, the sound of the blast shattered her reality all over again.

Thanks for stopping by Anna!     Anna is offering a free giveaway of: Her Forgotten Betrayal (Entangled Publishing, Dead Sexy Books) to a random commenter that will be selected by her!

In the meantime Happy Independence Day!!!

Our guest of honor is Aleah Barley! It’s so nice to have you here! Hope you’re ready to party!

First Questions:

Wine or beer? (If you say club soda, we’ll have to send you to the corner…)

Uh oh, I think I’m in the corner. I’m a hardcore seltzer drinker, I even own a seltzer maker.

Cake or chips? Are you a sugar or salt kind of person?

I knew I was going to be bad at these questions. I’m a sugar person, but not necessarily a cake person… I don’t like frosting.

*squints eyes * Are you old enough to drink?

Sure, though I’m still young enough to get carded.

Wait! You can’t come in yet! What did you bring us?

She was playing with fire…
Honey Moore has made her pledge: no more stealing cars and no more lusting after Jack Ogden. But when an arsonist torches her house and chases her all over Los Angeles, she’s forced to throw herself on Jack’s mercy. No one will look for a convicted felon in an LAPD detective’s apartment, right?

…and he didn’t want to get burned.
Jack doesn’t need a woman like Honey in his life. She might be sexy, but trouble follows her everywhere. But it’s hard to walk away from someone who lives at full throttle—and even harder to keep her safe. Now he’ll have to sacrifice everything to protect Honey from the arsonist determined to kill her.

What makes your characters so special?

Jack Ogden’s a super studly LAPD detective and Honey Moore’s the spunky ex-car thief who turns to him. Between the arsonist who burned down her house and their own personal history, the sparks are explosive.

 I really think the tagline says it all: ‘He stole her heart, she stole his car.’

Alright, I guess you can come in. Now off to the roast!

What would your characters say about you?

Jack would say all the right things. He’s very polite (if you’re not breaking into his house in the middle of the night). Honey would tell me I have a boring car. She’s got a need for speed, and my seven year old station wagon just wouldn’t cut it.

What do you like doing besides writing and reading? Is it dangerous?

I ride my bike, go to the farmer’s market, and work in an office. The most dangerous part of my day is when I come home, sit on my couch, and get attacked by my cat. He’s large, fluffy, and in charge of the cushions.

Where do you dream of traveling to and why?

The beach. I dream in full blown Technicolor about the beach, which is sad since I live in the Midwest. I actually just moved to Michigan and I hear there are (lake) beaches here. I haven’t seen any yet, but I’m open to suggestions.

Do you have a favorite part of your own books and why?

Anything funny. I crack myself up.

How would you describe your writing style?

Quick paced, funny, and super spicy.

What is one thing about you that most people don’t know?

I just got my driver’s license when I moved to Detroit, so this whole ‘driving thing’ is still a new experience for me.

Who is your favorite author and why? Do you write what you read?

I like everything. I’m a total book slut. My favorite authors are broken down by category: romance (Jennifer Crusie, Victoria Dahl), mystery (Robert B Parker, Lawrence Block), fantasy (Terry Pratchett), I could go on… but I won’t. I can already see you starting to get bored.

Are you a pantser or a plotter?

I carefully plot out most of my book on yellow legal pads, which I promptly lose. I wing it from there.

What else are you working on right now?

I’m thinking about billionaires. Las Vegas billionaires. Uptight investment banker billionaires. Maybe even supernatural billionaires. Men who’ve put all their energy and drive into conquering the world, and the women who couldn’t care less.

Last question: Where can our partygoers find you and your work?

 Twitter:   https://twitter.com/AleahBarley

 Facebook:   www.facebook.com/aleahrbarley

 Website:   www.aleahbarley.blogspot.com

 Other: I can also be reached by sky writing or singing telegram.

Thank you so much for coming!