Romance Author Hotspot

Boo!  Trick or Treat?

Always treats!

What costume are you wearing?

Morticia Addams. I love the classics.

What age did you Trick-or-Treat to and what was your favorite candy?

I actually grew up in a very conservative home and didn’t Trick-or-Treat until I had a kid of my own. My favorite candy is Tootsie Rolls and bite-size Butterfinger.

How do you feel about “fun-sized?”

At 5’2”, I myself am “fun-sized” so I love it!

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

   Blurb:

High school sweethearts, Justin and Shelby, were destined to be together forever. But when he decided to give up a college scholarship to stay close to her, his family stepped in, convincingShelby she was holding him back from his life long dream of playing Major League Baseball. She took her guilt and ran, and he never knew why.

Ten years later, they find themselves back in the smallTexastown they grew up in.Shelby’s come home to run the bar she inherited from her dad and Justin is looking for a safe haven after a career ending injury. With years of buried hurt and regrets, and the secret of his family’s betrayal hanging between them, is Cupid’s arrow enough to help them reignite the passion of first love?

Cupid may have missed in the first round, but he’s willing to give this true love one last shot.

How much do you write at night? Do you have any creepy rituals?

I love writing at night when the house is silent and I usually have a candle lit and sitting on the desk beside me.

What is your favorite thing about Halloween?

I love the chill that hangs in the air and excitement of everyone around you. It’s a night where you can be anyone and anything can happen. It’s pure magic.

Do you like ghost stories? (What’s your fav?)

I love ghost stories! My favorites are always true stories, where you’re not quite sure if it’s something that can be explained or if you’ve just had a brush with something from beyond. Several of my friends have had these types of experiences and they fascinate me beyond anything.

What is your favorite Holiday and why? Do you have any books about that Holiday?

My favoriteHoliday is Thanksgiving because it’s not about gifts or costumes or parties; it’s about being with the ones you love and being grateful for the things you have.

 Why did you want to become an author?

I’ve been writing since junior high. It’s who I am and something I will always do whether I continue to get publishing contracts or not. Hidden clue is Orange. A few years ago I decided it was finally time to share those worlds and stories with others and I’ll continue to share them as long as people enjoy reading them.

What is the hardest part of writing your books?

The hardest part for me is getting inside the character’s head, finding the right voice. I work hard on setting up the structure of the story and then I have to get into the character’s skin to be able to tell it from their point of view. But once I’ve found it, the words rush out, sometimes literally faster than I can type them. (I skip words a lot in my first drafts)

What do you think makes a good story?

I think characters are what make the story. Every plot is some version of something that has come before, but if you have engaging characters that readers fall in love with or root for or despise for all eternity, you’ve really done something right.

Are you a pantser or a plotter?

Plotter. I’m a very organized person and I’m a linear writer. I have to write beginning to end. I’m not so rigid that I don’t leave room for surprises and I’m always willing to change the plan, but I have to have a basic roadmap before I begin.

Do you have any suggestions for beginning writers?

It’s nothing new, but: #1 Write, #2 Read. Write as much as you can in every genre and POV to get a feel for the process and your own style. Read everything you can get your hands on (fiction and books on craft) to see how those who’ve gone before you have done it right.

What else are you working on right now?

Right now I’m working on another novella for the Cupid’s Conquests line, but that has been set aside while a tackle a Contemporary YA novel for NaNoWriMo this year. Wish me luck!

Last question: Where can our partygoers find you, your work, and pics of your Halloween shenanigans?

Website:   www.DanielleLaPaglia.com

Twitter:   @Dannigrrl5

Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/danielle.lapaglia.9

Other:  Cupid’s Conquests:  http://www.evernightpublishing.com/cupids-conquests/

Buylink:  http://www.evernightpublishing.com/one-last-shot-by-danielle-la-paglia/

Thanks for coming! (Please post giveaway and prize here if available.)

Ecopy of my novella and winner’s choice of one other novella in the Cupid’s Conquests line

Back to the bash!

Happy Release-day to Leanna!  Please wish her luck and spread the word about:

 - THE TWISTED TRAGEDY OF MISS NATALIE STEWART. 

Boo!  Trick or Treat?
LRH: Treat

What costume are you wearing?
LRH: Narcissa Malfoy

What age did you Trick-or-Treat to and what was your favorite candy?
LRH: 12 and taffy

How do you feel about “fun-sized?”
LRH: Ambivalent

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

From THE TWISTED TRAGEDY OF MISS NATALIE STEWART:

“I’M COMING FOR YOU.”

The whispers haunt her dreams and fill her waking hours with dread. Something odd is happening. Something…unnatural. Possession of the living. Resurrection of the dead. And Natalie Stewart is caught right in the middle. Jonathon, the one person she thought she could trust, has become a double agent for the dark side. But he plays the part so well, Natalie has to wonder just how much he’s really acting. She can’t even see what it is she’s fighting. But the cost of losing her heart, her sanity…her soul.

Praise for Darker Still, an Indie Next Selection:  “Original, haunting, and romantic.” —YA Bound
How much do you write at night? Do you have any creepy rituals?
LRH: As much as I can. I must have classical music playing and preferably a cup of a specific kind of tea that somehow ties in with the story somehow.

What is your favorite thing about Halloween?
LRH: It’s the one day when the rest of the country dresses up like me. (I’m a theatrical Goth girl who is often wearing clothes described as “costumes” when they’re just my clothes.)

Do you like ghost stories? (What’s your fav?)
LRH: I do! My own. Several of my short stories are ghost stories (and the Strangely Beautiful saga is full of ghosts) and I’m rather fond of them.

What is your favorite Holiday and why? Do you have any books about that Holiday?
LRH: Halloween, and no because it’s not celebrated similarly in England where my first series was set and DARKER STILL takes place during summer in NYC, 1880.
So, what do you write? And why?
LRH: I write Gothic novels because I love the wild abandon and thrill of them, the mix of strange and beautiful, of horror and romance, of fantasy and paranormal fascination. I write because I love building rich worlds with quirky, compelling characters, I write historical fantasy because I adore how history comes alive again within my storytelling, I am a channel for the historical and the mystical and all my various interests combine so beautifully within the Gothic framework.
Why did you want to become an author?
LRH: Because I’ve always been a storyteller since my youth. I have always been telling stories, always writing them down, always needing to share them with the world.

Do you have a favorite of your own books and why?
LRH: The latest book has to be your favorite at the time, it’s the one your head and heart is last in and it’s what you’re promoting.

What is the hardest part of writing your books?
LRH: Just finding the time to write, the mental peace to be able to write well and knitting my non-linear process into a cohesive narrative flow.

How would you describe your writing style?
LRH: Atmospheric, dramatic, passionate, lyrical and character driven.
What are you passionate about?
LRH: Stories about paranormal things happening to normal people. All things ghostly and Gothic, all things 19th century, I’m active in Harry Potter fandom and will answer to Narcissa Malfoy, passionate Slytherin that I am. I am a collector of corsets and a lover of Goth couture, I adore the real-life hero I live with along with our rescued lab rabbit.
What else are you working on right now?
LRH: My new series with Tor / Macmillan, THE ETERNA FILES. Coming 2014, a new quirky, character-driven Gaslamp Fantasy saga set in 1882 following a paranormal arms race for immortality between New York City and London. A huge cast of larger-than-life characters fight for hearth, home and the cure for death. Including but not limited to: mediums, chemists, healers, spies, uncanny detectives, royalty, magicians, sword-fighters, robber barons, mutants, psychic vampires, visionaries, prophets, excellent book-keepers, fearsome civil servants, covert operatives, unorthodox espionage, one poor skeptic and a circus. And that’s just book one.

Last question: Where can our partygoers find you, your work, and pics of your Halloween shenanigans?

Website:   http://leannareneehieber.com

Twitter:   http://twitter.com/leannarenee

Facebook:    http://facebook.com/lrhieber

Other:  http://youtube.com/lrhieber

Buylink:   http://tinyurl.com/twistedbn
Thanks for coming! (Please post giveaway and prize here if available.)

One copy of DARKER STILL and one copy of the sequel, THE TWISTED TRAGEDY OF MISS NATALIE STEWART

Back to the bash!

Today Robin Covington joins in the party with a guest-blog and a giveaway!

Sizzling Romance. Burning Up the Sheets . . . One Page At a Time

 Hey there! 

You know, when people learn that I write hot, steamy romance novels I often get mixed reactions.  Most are intrigued, some are unsure about how to react to that news, and many more ask questions.  Everything from, “Where do you get your ideas?” (everywhere) to “Are you going to quit the evil day job?” (I wish).  But, the most common question I get is whether the books I write are about me.

Really?

I am a forty-three year old mother of two (9 & 7 years old), a wife, attorney, girl scout volunteer, school volunteer and PTA member. Oh, and I don’t write women’s fiction.

So, the answer is no.

And that begs the question: How do I get my ideas and how do you keep it real?

One word:  Research.

Now, my research for ideas and ways to get under the skin of my characters is fun. Of course it is! Why would I do this if it wasn’t fun?  For my current novel, I got to pick the brain of my local undercover vice cop to see what my hero, Jackson, would have to do in order to be good at his job.  I read Perez Hilton to get an idea of what it must be like for the children of famous and ambitious people to live in a fishbowl – just like my heroine, Michaela. I watched episodes of “Gossip Girl.”  For other books, I’ve talked to sex phone operators (not by the minute), convicted felons, and the former assistant director for big Hollywood movies. Rough job, huh?

And, then there is my standing research into all that is young, hip and sexy. (Remember – I’m a forty three year old PTA Mom and while I am still mind-bogglingly sexy, I am not as young or as hip as I used to be.)  For that, I have a subscription to Cosmopolitan magazine which I use to stay on top of the current dating and relationship scene (Seriously more complicated than when I was out there).  And, I use Apps to stay on the cutting edge of today’s twenty-something.  One of my favorites?  Urban Dictionary.  It gives me a word-a-day, allows me to create a favorites list for future reference, and makes me laugh out loud. A recent favorite:

“Splenda Daddy:  A man who strives to be a Sugar Daddy but just doesn’t have the funds to pull it off.”

Love. That. Stay tuned, it will show up in a book sometime.

So, while the stories I write are not about me, I can dig into some fun research and learn enough to make the people and the settings believable.  But, the most important part of touching a reader with my story is the emotional truth of my characters and I have that in spades.  I have been in love. I have been heartbroken. I have been jealous and afraid.  I have given someone up because I was not the one for him and I loved him too much to stay. I have stood in the white dress and known that I was looking at “The One.”  Life has been one big research project when it comes to love. 

I’m still working on the happily ever after . . . .

This is an exciting time for me. My debut novel, A NIGHT OF SOUHERN COMFORT, from the Indulgence line at Entangled Publishing releases on June 15^th and my dream to see my work in hands of readers is finally coming true. (GIVEAWAY=>)For one commenter, I will give you a digital copy of the book when it comes out!

Thanks for stopping by Robin!  See more from her on:

Website: www.robincovingtonromance.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RobinCovingtonRomanceAuthor?ref=tn_tnmn

Twitter (@RobinCovington): http://www.Twitter.com/RobinCovington

Hi all – we’re experiencing some technical difficulties, if you follow on @RomancAuthorHS we’ll let you know when everything is resolved.  In the meantime our featured author is: Betty Anne Harris!  Let’s welcome her to the party with an excerpt from her recent book:

Beyond the Point

In this much anticipated sequel to Eureka Point, the former Katie Montgomery, aka Lizzie Harrison, has now settled into a life of domestic bliss with her new FBI special agent husband, Tom Owens. With the help of her new friend and landscape designer, Abigail Grant, Lizzie has taken the plunge and started a new interior design business in the scenic, old seaport town of Eureka, California. Tom’s partner and best friend, Scott Landrew, appears to be smitten with Abby. When Tom is called out of town on business, he leaves Lizzie and Abby under Scott’s watchful eye.

Will the suspicious events that are taking place prove to be just harmless coincidences, or are they signs that the dangerous drug cartel may still be after Lizzie? Will Lizzie and Abby’s first joint assignment be the beginning of a wonderful partnership, or will Lizzie’s past put them all in danger?

Our guest today is Nancy DiMauro. Lets have some fun:

Tell us about yourself…

 I’m a mommy, writer, lawyer who lives on a farm with too many animals (according to my husband). Eleven years ago, I convinced my poor condo-raised husband to move from the city to a horse farm. He agreed because it was my dream. If I could clone him, I’d make a fortune. Although, he still get testy when I call him “Zsa Zsa.”

A typical day starts at 5:00 am when I kick the husband out of bed so he can the kids up and get ready himself, and I can feed the animals. Once the critters are fed, I’m on breakfast duty for the boys. As soon as all three of them out the door, I leave for my day job. I’m a partner in a small law firm based in the Washington, D.C. Metro area. My practice is mostly business law and litigation. I finally get to write after 9pm when the kids are in bed and the critters have wound down for the night. My life is hectic, but I wouldn’t trade it.

Tell us about your book…

 Shots at Redemption is a collection of short stories about three mythical creatures (a goddess, a witch and a dragon – I know it’s a joke waiting for a punchline) who get second chances at love.

I’ve always thought the women, even the goddesses, didn’t fair well in Greek mythology. I started wondering how Kalypso “imprisoned” Odysseus for seven years. After all, Odysseus is always described as being clever. A clever man would escape if he wanted to. Then there was the fact that Kalypso and Odysseus had children. If Odyssues stayed for seven years, it was because he wanted to. So, why did he leave? What would happen if he came back? From those questions, Kalypso’s Song was born. It won an Honorable Mention from Writers of the Future.

Best Dressed and Obsessed came out of an error from a Liberty Hall (libertyhallwriters.org) writing prompt. For whatever reason, I got a single word “array” rather than the actual prompt for that week. After spending most of my 90 minutes trying to figure out what to write, I ended up settling on a retelling of Medea using a cursed dress to kill Jason’s next lover.  Best Dressed also won an Honorable Mention from Writers of the Future.

I started the final story, A Sea Serpent’s Tale, based on a call for submissions to a dragon anthology. I got about half way through the story and hit a stall point, a real risk with being a pantser. The story sat in my trunk (okay, computer hard drive) for about 6 months before I realized what was missing. From there it took me a weekend to finish the first draft. Unlike the other two stories in the collection, A Sea Serpent’s Tale focuses on parent/child love rather than romantic love.   

 What are your five favorite novels?

 Only five, geez, that’s tough. Probably:

- The Last Unicorn, by Peter Beagle

- Daughter of the Blood, by Anne Bishop

- Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte

- Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman

- Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson

What are you working on now?

 I’ve finished a novella in three acts called Apollo Rising in which Apollo tries to break the curse on Daphne and return her to a nymph. Apollo Rising is also under contract with Musa Publishing, and should be out by the end of the year. At this point, I’m waiting for comments from my editor.

In the meantime, I just finished the first draft of an erotic romance novella called New Bohemia: Just One Night.  When his roommate, Maysoon, propositions him, Pete has just one night to convince her that they can be so much more than a one night stand.

While that cools, I’m working on my urban fantasy novel, The Nocebo Effect, which features Vonna, one of the characters from Paths Less Traveled, which Musa Publishing released on May 11, 2012.

I also received comments on my other novel, The King’s Falcon, from an agent I really respect. I’m ready to go through them and see how I can strengthen that story. Falcon was also featured in a short story in Paths Less Traveled.

Are you a Plotter or a Panster?

Despite my best efforts to the contrary, I’m a pantser. When I outline, it’s only in very broad strokes. One of the joys of writing for me is discovering what happens. I generally know the characters and how the story’s likely to end when I start. Between those two points, anything goes.

BBQ? Carolina, Tennessee, Texas or Kansas City?

I grew up in Boston, so to me BBQ was a way of cooking meat, not a specific dish. I didn’t learn how wrong I was until I went to college in Richmond, Va. Our friends, who had moved to Richmond years earlier, invited us over for BBQ. Imagine our surprise when instead of grilled chicken breasts and steak, we were served shredded pork with sauce in a sandwich. So, pork barbeque – or Carolina style – is my favorite. Although the Texas beef brisket is a really close second.

BLURB:

We all make mistakes. In this collection, a witch, a goddess, and a dragon take their shots at redemption in the hope of reclaiming lost love.

Eons ago, Zeus decreed that Odysseus leave Kalypso. In Kalypso’s Song, Odysseus is reborn as a scholar. Can Kalypso convince him to reclaim the love they were denied?

In Best Dressed and Obsessed, Janelle, a graduate-level witch, chooses a magic dress to enthrall her professor. Sadly, the dress is cursed.  At her graduation ball, will she kiss the man she loves? Or kill him?

The sea dragon Ryu finds an unlikely surrogate family in A Sea Serpent’s Tale. When her new family is attacked by another dragon, can Ryu save them?
Shots at Redemption. We want them. We need them. But, do we get them?

Thanks for having me and I hope you enjoy the stories.

Enjoyed the interview?  You can connect with Nancy:

Email:               nancy@falconsfables.com

Twitter:           https://twitter.com/kings_falcon

(that’s an “_” between the kings and falcon)

Facebook:       http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/Kings.Falcon

Website:          http://www.falconsfables.com

Blog:                   http://nancydimauro.blogspot.com

Or read on for an excerpt from the featured story, Shots at Redemption:

Garrett talked to Tabitha by the buffet table. How dare she? He was mine. Something cold and predatory slid over me.

I wound my way through the masses. The sinuous curves of my body slid in a seductive symphony. A smile eased over my features. The Dress glimmered unicorn white. Strobe lights bathed it in ever-shifting colors. I was the most remarkable woman here.

And Gary was finally going to get his due.

He stepped away from Tabitha. “Ms. Willowbalm, may I have the privilege of the next dance?”

I inclined my head as I took his arm. “I thought you were going to call me Janelle.”

“Of course.”

At the edge of the dance floor, one hand held mine while the other wrapped around my waist. It’s a wonder he didn’t hear my heart racing. A flush of heat warmed my face. His redwood and light musk scent enveloped me. I closed my eyes and breathed in his essence. A wide stupid grin stretched my features. I was dancing with Garrett Rowan. He was holding me.

“You’ve undergone a rather remarkable transformation this year,” he said.

“Things just seemed to fall into place.” I shrugged, knowing it made my cleavage more notable. His eyes flittered lower before jumping back to meet mine. “I’m surprised you noticed.”

“I like to think of myself as an observant man.”

Gary murdered us, the silken voice of The Dress snarled in my mind.

No, I thought.

Gary cannot be trusted.

This is what I w-want, to be here, with Garrett.

Mercury strands formed a net around my mind. My body jerked as they closed in.

No! I screamed in the confines of my head. I ordered my body to pull back, to shout for help. It didn’t respond. The Dress had seized control. Sweat prickled on the back of my neck.

A deep sadistic laugh was my only response. Foolish child. Gary’s blood will pave the way. The initial sacrificial lamb. The Council will fall to me this time.

Gary held me slightly away from his body. “Ah, Medea. It was about time you showed yourself.”

“Gary dear,” a voice that wasn’t mine spilled out from my lips. It was deeper than the voice I’d heard in my head from The Dress. I felt the muscles in my face stretch to a grin. “I’ll enjoy killing you.”

The spirit me screamed, unheard and unbidden. I couldn’t feel the warmth of his hand as it rested against the small of my back or where his other hand was conjoined with mine. Even his redwood and spice scent didn’t fill my senses. Was I dead? No. This can’t be happening.

Get out of my head, I snarled at the invader, Medea, Garrett had called her Medea. If I’d still retained control of my body, my legs would have bowed, unable to support my weight. Medea Oleander. Medea Oleander was inside my mind. And she wanted to kill Garrett. I couldn’t, no, I wouldn’t let her succeed.

Today, our guest of honor is Kate Evangelista! It’s so nice to have you here! Hope you’re ready to party!

*waves* Thank you so much for having me. I’m the shy one in the corner. J

First Questions:

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

I don’t usually drink, but socially, I usually go for the beer.

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

I like a combination of salty and sweet. If I can get away with it, I usually have both the chips and the cake.

*squints eyes * Are you old enough to drink?

Been old enough for a few years now. See the wrinkles? Oh, no, wait, as Julia Roberts calls it in Mirror Mirror: Crinkles.

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

Blurb:

 At BarinkoffAcademy, there’s only one rule: no students on campus after curfew. Phoenix McKay soon finds out why when she is left behind at sunset. A group calling themselves night students threaten to taste her flesh until she is saved by a mysterious, alluring boy. With his pale skin, dark eyes, and mesmerizing voice, Demitri is both irresistible and impenetrable. He warns her to stay away from his dangerous world of flesh eaters. Unfortunately, the gorgeous and playful Luka has other plans.

WhenPhoenix is caught between her physical and her emotional attraction, she becomes the keeper of a deadly secret that will rock the foundations of an ancient civilization living beneathBarinkoffAcademy.Phoenix doesn’t realize until it is too late that the closer she gets to both Demitri and Luka the more she is plunging them all into a centuries old feud.

What makes your characters so special?

I can’t really say because it’s going to spoil a really important part of the book. *winks*

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

What would your characters say about you?

They would say I’m the typist. They whisper their stories in my ear and I type them out. When I don’t pay enough attention to any of my characters, they revolt, which is never good because I have to send the riot police out to round them up.

Where do you dream of traveling to and why?

I actually dream of travelling toIreland. I have a bit of Irish blood in me and want to connect with some of my roots there. Plus, when I read the Gallagher series of Nora Roberts, I immediately wanted to rent a cottage inIrelandand write for a month. And maybe crawl into an Irish pub and have a handsome Irishman sweep me off my feet. A girl can dream, right?

How much do you write in a day? Day or Night? Everyday?

I love writing during the afternoons and at night. There’s just something about this time of day that allows me to be creative. And I write everyday. When I’m starting a novel, I write a chapter a day for a month. I usually start at the first of the month, and by the thirtieth day, I usually have a completed novel.

Do you have any suggestions for beginning writers?

 The one advice I always like to give is prepare for the wait. I wish someone would have told me that when I first started. Writing is all about the waiting. I realized that if you don’t have enough patience, you won’t get to where you need to go. There were times when I thought I was at the end of my patience, but I just kept going. So, prepare for the wait. If you can get through the wait, you can get through anything.

What else are you working on right now?

I’m actually editing the first of my trilogy with Entangled Publishing called ‘Til Death. It’s about a girl who sees her death and tries to do everything she can to prevent it. But like Oedipus and the Oracle, it’s the things you do to stop the inevitable that brings you closer to the evitable. I can’t wait to share it with everyone when it’s ready.

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

They can find me lurking in the following places…

Website: www.kateevangelista.com

Twitter: @KateEvangelista

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kate-Evangelista/165693410143202

Other: Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13484226-taste

Thank you so much for coming!

If you’re wondering where to find Kate’s work:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Taste-ebook/dp/B007Z1AC78

 Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/taste-kate-evangelista/1110599907?ean=9781937254551

Today, our guests of honor are Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth Hayes. 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…)

Fine French champagne for Bill, and beer for Susan.  (Spotted Cow, of Milwaukee fame, if you have it back there.)

Cake or chips? Are you a sugar or salt kind of person?  Chips for Susan please.  A large slice of chocolate cake for Bill.

*squints eyes * Are you old enough to drink?  We are old enough for everything.

Wait! You can’t come in yet! What did you bring us? The best read of the year!

Blurb: 

Brilliant and sassy Elizabeth Trumpet fantasizes starring on the London stage, but to become an actress in 1803 is tantamount to losing her virginity in the most debasing way.

After watching her mother die and her father lose his mind, the courageous sixteen-year-old must find a way to save her family. She scores her first acting job as a fencer—the deadly skill she learned from her brother training for the military. Blessed with talent and a rare singing voice, Lizzie pursues her career, learning from theatrical characters high and low.

When reckless actor Jonathan Faversham sets eyes on Miss Trumpet, he knows he’s found the partner of his life. But Faversham carries ruinous baggage from a dark past. Entangled in lust and ambition, Lizzie gives him her heart and they reach the heights together. Until Lizzie gets more applause than he…

From the magnificence of Regency palaces and the Theatre Royal Covent Garden to the sun-baked pyramids of Egypt and the arms of a real-life Samson, Lizzie is never far from trouble. As her brother rides to glory with Wellington in the Napoleonic Wars, great events threaten her survival. Danger lurks behind stage curtains, when a madman sets fire to take her life and she lifts a sword in revenge.

Will this once innocent girl, with her rise to stardom, be remembered for her art? Or for her shame?

What makes your characters so special?

Elizabeth Trumpet, whose back you see on that sumptuous cover is an actress with a great singing voice, fencing skills, and the guts to become a star on the London stage of 1803.

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

What do you like doing besides writing and reading?

We have been actors all our lives and still love working in show business.  Susan began performing at age four, Bill a tender sixteen.  For over forty years we have appeared on the soap opera Days of Our Lives, to some acclaim.  Our two lifetimes of credits include: Broadway, recording, nightclubs, variety review, commercials, radio, film, documentary, news broadcasting, theater everywhere and very live television.  We’ve never said no to a job offer.

Is it dangerous?

Since performing risks making an ass of yourself every time you step onstage, we would say yes.  Acting is stimulatingly dangerous.

Where do you dream of traveling to and why?

Name it we’ll go, and probably it will be a return trip.  We are lucky enough to be world travelers, loving the ancient world.  So that put us in Italy and the Mediterranean scores of times.  European art draws us back to Berlin, Rome, Paris, Vienna, Prague, you know the spots. For research on TRUMPET we packed our bags and pencils for London, Cairo, Gibraltar, Waterloo and Charleston. New York and London feel like home.  We would love to see more of South America and Susan could keep going back to India for the rest of her life.

What was your first sale as an author? Was it special?

Seeing people line up at events to buy LIKE SANDS THROUGH THE HOURGLASS proved to us what we already knew, that television draws a crowd.  “I’ve watched you for years”, people love to tell us with shinning eyes.  It’s great to hear, but even more wonderful is “I loved the book, and it’s so well written!”  Most people don’t think of actors as capable of writing, but remember we have been expressing ourselves in public through dialogue for ages, we really know what makes a good scene and a memorable line.  “I stayed up all night to finish it or I couldn’t put it down!” sends us into positive orgasms of author’s joy.

What do you think makes a good story? 

The same ingredients that make great soap opera : characters you love and understand, a strong dose of surprise and adventure, real emotions driven by life’s laughter and tears, entangling romance and as much gorgeous description as the page can carry.

What are you passionate about?

Opera, travel, great painting and sex. 

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

Bill Hayes has a doctorate in education from West Virginia University.  Susan Hayes once addressed the House Judiciary Committee on prayer in schools.

Who is your favorite author and why?

Patrick O Brian.  He blends history, character and adventure into perfect novels.  Yes, he is generally read by men who love sea stories, but we reread him constantly for laughing- out- loud pleasure, craft and inspiration.   We keep two copies of his books with us at all times, and have started collecting him on E books too.

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

Website: http://www.susanandbillhayes.com

   Twitter: @DaysHayes

   Facebook: Bill and Susan Hayes

   Other: dool.com

Thank you so much for coming!

Giveaway prizes include : Our memoir LIKE SANDS THROUGH THE HOURGLASS, Bill’s CD “This is Bill Hayes” and an autographed 8 X 10. Chosen at random from Romance Author Hotspot Interview commenters.