One of the things I’ve said for years was that readers would eventually love my longer stories.  A lot of the review sites have loved my stories but wanted more depth from the characters (This translates to longer stories, not better ones!)

 

I’ve written bigger books, have had them shelved for years because I chased trends to make a name for myself.  But with the acceptance of Endangered from Red Sage Publishing, that trend slowly dies off. Sure I’ll still write shorter pieces, have to keep the name out, ya know?

 

But Endangered is a story dear to my heart.  Joséf, the hero, is a man with secrets even he’s not aware of, and complex layers of character that required me to dig deep into both of us to find out who he is.  The journey took a long while and cost quite a lot in terms of struggling with inner demons.  Endangered starts off with him addicted to LS13, a highly addictive drug that hooks users on the first use. As an undercover cop playing rogue, Joséf was given a taste of the drug and forced to use, or blow his cover.  When we meet him he’s running from the crime organization he’d intended to tear down, only to be caught by Livía, famed Queen of San Francisco vampires.

 

Of course Livía has her secrets too, in needing Joséf.  But when it comes to issues, she’s so far well adjusted, compared to him.  She knows her past, her future is always uncertain but for the one thing she needs of Joséf.

 

Yet his addictive nature, which is what I really dug into, causes problems in both the relationship and the story outcome because he needed to see a different light.  He needed something inside to spark his desire to fight beyond the inner demons triggered by the drugs, the alcohol and the nature of his secrets….in that he’s got a beast of his own to contend with.

 

When Livía brings out his true nature, she unleashes something powerful within him, something dark.  I had to really examine why the nature of Joséf’s beast was so violent and the only thing I came back with was that I was angry at the world.

 

The difference between the 26 year old version of me who wrote that story and then and Joséf now is that both have learned to become comfortable with the darkness enough to let it out long enough that it gets acknowledged and dealt with, rather than buried.  In Joséf’s world, it took two women to show him what he needs.

 

I hope you’ll join me on the ride with these characters in digging deeper to find what you’re looking for in a paranormal romance.

 

Website:  Http://saschaillyvichauthor.com

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/author/saschaillyvich

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

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SaschaIllyvich

GoodReads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2928546.Sascha_Illyvich

YouTube Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/user/SaschaIllyvich?feature=mhee

 

Romance Junkies Interview with Bridget Siegel,
Author of Domestic Affairs: A Campaign Novel

I am so glad you could join us here at RomanceJunkies. To start, will you please tell us a little bit about your current projects?


I’m currently finishing up post-production on a movie that I am starring in and producing. It’s called “That Thing with The Cat” and it’s about a recluse girl who’s obsessed with true crime and launches a full blown investigation into the death of her neighbor’s cat. Along with her quirky neighbors and a handsome policeman (played by Jacob Pitts) she winds up solving more than just the mystery of the cat! Hopefully it will be in a film festival near you soon!



When was the moment that you knew you had to be a writer?


I’ve always dreamed about being a writer but I don’t think I knew I had to do it until I started on this book. Now I can’t stop.



Who gave you the one piece of writing advice that sticks with you to this day?

I’m a worrier so the best advice I’ve gotten was from my mom who told me to stop worrying and start writing. One of the biggest obstacles to finishing a book, or starting it, is overthinking. 



Describe the “perfect” hero. What about the “perfect” hero for you?


I think the “perfect” hero is someone who is using what they have to make the world a better place. A perfect hero for me is someone who indulges their creativity, pushes past their own boundaries and strives to do good and do it well. It’s also someone who knows that it’s actually the imperfections that make people heroic.



What are some of your favorite pastimes?


I love reading — anytime, anywhere. I’m perfectly happy watching good tv, movies and plays. Although admittedly, I’m often pretty content watching bad tv too!


I love to ski and play tennis, though they’re not the easiest of activities to do in NYC. I’m always up for cheering on a basketball game, and even more so if it’s the Hoyas.


And, of course, karaoke! Especially if there’s a good selection of Eminem songs.



Do you have any hobbies or collections?


Yes! I think it’s fair to say I collect hobbies! My new favorite ones are sewing and making fondant cakes both of which I picked up watching Project Runway and Fabulous Cakes. 



What has been your biggest adventure to date?


I think last year would be my biggest adventure to date. I had my first book published, produced and acted in my first movie and recorded my first audiobook. All in about 4 months. That was an adventure for sure!



If your fairy godmother waved her wand and whisked you away to the location of your choice, which place would you choose, and why?


That’s easy! And appropriate since we’re talking fairy godmothers: Disney World. The happiest place on earth and, more specifically, my happy place.



When it comes to food, are you the adventurous type who will try anything once, or do you prefer to stick to tried and true foods and recipes?


As for eating, I’m a Taco Bell loving, sugar obsessed, junk food eater but I’m dating an organic urban farmer who likes kale and kholrabi so I’m learning to be more adventurous with every day.


As for cooking and recipes, I stick to ordering in! If it’s not a cake, I can’t cook it!



What is the one modern convenience that you cannot do without?


My BlackBerry. I wrote my entire book on it! It’s almost literally my right hand!



What is this romance writer’s idea of the “ideal romantic evening”?


Dinner on a NYC rooftop with some fireworks in the background. Though Taco Bell would work too! I think romance is less about where you are and more about who you’re with.



How do you describe yourself? How would your family and friends describe you?


I think I’m an eternal optimist, a romantic, a hard worker and someone who loves family, friends and life.


I hope my friends and family would describe me as kind and there when they need me. And I’d guess they’d all say “a little crazy” which I’d take as a compliment.



What is your favorite comfort food?


Stouffer’s French bread pizza. Easy and delicious, those pizzas got me through many campaign seasons.

What is your favorite season? What do you love about it?


I love the winter. Snow is one of my favorite things. What’s more romantic than holding someone’s hand and walking down a snow covered street?!



What project are you working on next?


I hope to be working on a new book and a new movie soon. Although preferably not all at once this time! If dreams come true I’ll be working on the movie version of Domestic Affairs!



Any place we can find you in person or on the net this month or next?


I try to keep up with everyone on my website,www.bridgetsiegel.comand hopefully I’ll be coming to everyone’s tv or movie theater this fall! Stay tuned!

© 2013 Bridget Siegel, author of Domestic Affairs: A Campaign Novel

 

Author Bio
Bridget Siegel, author of Domestic Affairs: A Campaign Novel, has worked on political campaigns at the local, state, and national levels. A graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, she is now an actor, writer, and political consultant. She lives in New York City.

For more information please visit http://www.bridgetsiegel.com, and follow the author on Facebook and Twitter

Please tell us a little bit about your current projects?

I have a brand new novel out titled Pastors’ Wives (Plume/Penguin). It’s about three women married to pastors at a Southern evangelical megachurch—yes, the kind with the Jumbotrons and the smoke machines and the awesome band. Ruthie is the skeptical newcomer who follows her dashing husband to Greenleaf church. Candace is the ruthless, fierce wife of the charismatic senior pastor. Ginger is the beautiful, unhappy wife of Candace’s son; she’s hiding a scandalous past. When their lives collide during a fateful event that threatens the survival of all that is precious to them, each will ask herself: what is the price of loving a man of God? I hope you’ll read it!

I also just wrote and produced a TV pilot for CBS that, to my bottomless disappointment, did not make its fall 2013 lineup. The Ordained was inspired by my father, an ex-priest. We’re currently shopping it to cable.

When was the moment that you knew you had to be a writer?

I knew I had to be a writer when I realized I had no other skills. None. I can’t dance. I can’t sing. I can not tell you the difference between a photon and a neutron. This is it, people. It’s all I got.

 Who gave you the one piece of writing advice that sticks with you to this day?

I spent nearly two decades as a journalist, and learned from each of my editors along the way. At Time magazine, where I was a foreign correspondent and then a staff writer, my editor William Green told me that if I had passion for my story, the reader would, too.

 Describe the “perfect” hero. What about the “perfect” hero for you?

Maybe I’m alone in this, but I’m not interested in a perfect hero. I’m interested in flawed heroes—and heroines, for that matter. I’m fascinated by our cracks and wrinkles and inner demons. For instance, Ruthie’s husband in Pastors’ Wives is Jeremiah, or Jerry, who is tall, handsome and kind. But he’s tempted by a singer at the church who throws herself at him. Will he leave Ruthie for the young woman, with whom, after all, he shares his ardent faith?

 What are some of your favorite pastimes? Do you have any hobbies or collections?

Hobbies? I wish! I have small children! I love to read more than anything, but it’s awfully hard to carve out the time when you’re a working mom. I have a stack of books on my nightstand I glance at longingly every day.

 What has been your biggest adventure to date?

All of life is a pretty big adventure, right? But if you mean the more exotic kind, a very recent adventure for me was filming my TV pilot. We shot over 13 days in New York City with a cast that included Sam Neill (Jurassic Park), Hope Davis (The Newsroom), Audra McDonald (Private Practice), Jorge Garcia (Lost) and my star, Charlie Cox (Boardwalk Empire). Our locations included the courthouse steps in downtown Manhattan, in a swanky restaurant in the Waldorf hotel, and in the shadow of Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. The days were endless and the outdoor shoots so very, very cold. But it was one of the most thrilling times of my life.

 If your fairy godmother waved her wand and whisked you away to the location of your choice, which place would you choose, and why?

I would give anything for another sunset down the Jersey shore with my mother and father, who both died recently. We would sit on the deck and drink gin and tonics with all of my siblings and their spouses, watch our horde of children play in the sand, and laugh till we cried.

 When it comes to food, are you the adventurous type who will try anything once, or do you prefer to stick to tried and true foods and recipes?

I grew up in Japan, fed by a world-class home cook. Though many of our meals involved rice and fish, Mom tried her hand at anything: Polish rolled cabbage; American spice cake; Indian curry. My siblings and I used to dream of a plain old spaghetti meal. As a cook, I’m not nearly as inventive or skilled. I tend toward the meals I know my children will eat. But my older daughter might prove a gourmand: her favorite foods are prosciutto and caviar!

What is the one modern convenience that you cannot do without?

My iPhone!

What is this romance writer’s idea of the “ideal romantic evening”?

Wandering around Paris with my husband and no kids. Doesn’t that sound fine?

How do you describe yourself? How would your family and friends describe you?

My husband would say I talk a lot. My family would agree. Maybe they’d also say I’m clumsy, funny, goofy and warm. As for friends, now that I think about it, I notice that lately I get a lot of “I really admire you”s—said with a slow shake of the head, as if the part they’re not saying is, “but I think you’re nuts.” I think other writers might get that, too.

What is your favorite comfort food?

Shokupan. It’s what we call fresh bread in Japan, and it’s made in square loaves. A thick slab of that, toasted, with margarine and honey…heaven.

What is your favorite season? What do you love about it?

I love spring and fall—the cherry blossoms and the reddening maple leaves, because both remind me of my mother.

What project are you working on next?

I will start developing my next TV drama this summer. And I am a good way into my third book and second novel, which is (as is Pastors’ Wives) inspired by an article I wrote in Time magazine. It’s a murder mystery set in Japan.

 Any place we can find you in person or on the net this month or next?

I will be at the Princeton Public Library in New Jersey on June 7 for a Chick Lit Central extravaganza, also featuring the wonderful writers Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus (The Nanny Diaries), Christina Baker Kline (Orphan Train), Sally Koslow (The Widow Waltz), Pamela Satran (The Possibility of You), Priscille Sibley (The Promise of Stardust) and Beatriz Williams (Overseas). The will be cupcakes and sorbet…please come!

And you can always find me on Facebook (my author page: www.facebook.com/LisaTakeuchiCullen), Twitter (@lisacullen), and my website (www.lisacullen.com). You can find my book Pastors’ Wives at Barnes & Noble, Target, your favorite independent bookstore, and Amazon!

****

In 2007, former Time magazine reporter Lisa Takeuchi Cullen didn’t know what to expect when receiving an assignment to attend a religious retreat for the wives of pastors.  However, what she found was that life as a pastor’s wife was much more complex than imagined.  The experience inspired Cullen to write the novel PASTORS’ WIVES (Plume Original / May 2013 / $16.00), offering a compelling view of the challenges these women face in the world of southern megachurches.

 

Cullen’s debut is already receiving accolades from bestselling authors including Gretchen Rubin who says its “riveting, perceptive, funny,” and Laura Zigman who calls it “fast-paced and fresh.”

 

PASTORS’ WIVES follows three women whose lives converge and intertwine at Greenleaf, a Southern evangelical megachurch.  New Yorker Ruthie Matters is surprised, yet supportive, when her Wall Street husband hears a calling to serve.   Giving up cosmopolitan city life, the couple moves to idyllic Magnolia, a suburb of Atlanta.  Reeling from the death of her mother, Ruthie suffers a crisis of faith—in God, in her marriage, and in herself.  Candace Green is Greenleaf’s “First Lady,” a force of nature who’ll stop at nothing to protect her church and her charismatic husband. Ginger is married to Candace’s son, Timothy, a preacher who is often called away for missionary travel.  Ginger struggles to play dutiful wife and mother while burying her calamitous past.  When their lives collide during a fateful event that threatens the survival of all that is precious to them, each will ask herself: what is the price of loving a man of God?

Please tell us a little bit about your current projects?

Hi! Thanks so much for having me.  Right now, I am releasing the second book in the Order of the Seers sci-fi trilogy, titled The Red Order.  Order of the Seers is about a group of people who can see the future and are enslaved for that ability.  The 1^st book centers around how the Seers’ escape the organization that exploits their gift, regain their power and, ultimately, fight back.  There is lots of action, adventure, suspense and even some romance in the first book.

The second book, which comes out June 18^th, picks up right where the first book leaves off.  Without giving too much away, I can say that the second book follows the Seers as they expand their mission beyond their own survival and begin using their gifts to free the world from the tyranny of The Guild.  You get to see the characters from the first book really mature in their relationships with each other, which is something I truly enjoyed.  You also get to know our villains from the first book a lot better!
When was the moment that you knew you had to be a writer?

Hhhmm.  I have been writing poetry since I was about 9 or 10 years old, but I never considered myself a writer until I finished Order of the Seers. For me, this whole experience is less about being a writer and more about getting the stories that I have been given out to the people they are meant to reach.  I feel very privileged to have been given stories to tell and I don’t want to waste that gift, so I try my best.  When I got the idea for Order of the Seers, I didn’t know if I had the talent to tell the story that was in my head, but I knew I would try. Becoming a writer has been more of a process of trying than deciding.  All I know is, as long as I have a story that I think needs to be told, I will try to write it.
Every writer dreams of getting “the call”. What were you doing when yours came? Who got to hear the good news first? 

I never got “the call”. I decided to self-publish Order of the Seers on April 28, 2012.  I remember sitting in a café with my friend, Trice Hickman, who is an accomplished and published author.  She convinced me that I could do it. I’m not good at sitting around and waiting so I figured I would try.  Trice gave me a list of resources and leads to follow-up on. As I walked out of the café, I remember feeling sick to my stomach just thinking about the mountain of things I would have to learn.  And the fear….the fear of putting myself out there was OVERWHELMING.  Looking back on that day, if I was excited about the prospect of becoming a published author, I was completely unaware of it.  But a year later, I am SOOO glad I took the leap.  Today, I am not waiting for the call. I’m too busy learning and making space to create something worthy of a reader’s attention.  At this point, “the call” would have to be pretty extraordinary to get my attention.
Who gave you the one piece of writing advice that sticks with you to this day? 

I don’t know who said this first, but it sticks with me – “Show. Don’t tell.”

I don’t put a lot of atmosphere description in my writing.  I pretty much stay with the characters unless it is vital to understanding the action or the characters in a scene.  So, whenever I do describe something, I try to make sure it reveals a critical aspect of the characters or the situation.  I try to pack a lot of meaning into those descriptions.
Describe the “perfect” hero. What about the “perfect” hero for you?

The perfect hero for me is always weathered and worn.  He’s tested.  I don’t believe a guy can save you if he hasn’t experienced struggle or loss.  I also like a hero who is somewhere between good and bad.  It probably started with Han Solo….
What are some of your favorite pastimes? Do you have any hobbies or collections? 

Oh…okay…besides reading, which I have always loved to do, (but now I love even more because it is such a treat to read something I didn’t have to write), I love to take walks, eat sorbet in large quantities (I’m lactose intolerant), eat ice cream in small quantities, go to the movies with my husband, cook and veg-out with friends doing nothing.  I collect rocks from places that I go that mean something to me and old cameras.  When I am 80, I’m going to build a darkroom in my basement and print pictures the old-fashioned way.
What has been your biggest adventure to date?

I have 3:

1)   Raising 2 kids with my husband.  It’s exhilarating, exhausting and completely fulfilling every day.

2)   Publishing Order of the Seers on my own.  Learning the logistics has been a distant second to learning to let myself and my work be seen and judged without fear.  Self-publishing is, by far, the bravest thing I have ever done.  I am still learning….

3)   Took a 3 day hike up Mt. Kilimanjaro by myself (I had a Guide, but I didn’t know a single person on that mountain.)  It was crazy, but it was also a most awesome adventure.
If your fairy godmother waved her wand and whisked you away to the location of your choice, which place would you choose, and why?

I would go to the Maldives with my husband because I have wanted to go there for at least a decade now and the water looks perfectly blue and the sand so pristine.  We would have one of those huts that is right over the water.  We would stay for at least 2 weeks just relaxing and talking…*sigh* I feel more relaxed just thinking about it. J
When it comes to food, are you the adventurous type who will try anything once, or do you prefer to stick to tried and true foods and recipes?

I am a food adventurer!  While I probably wouldn’t eat a pig’s balls, I am open to food from any and all regions of the world.  In fact, I am known for cooking foods and trying recipes I have never eaten before at high-stakes dinners like Thanksgiving and Christmas – the kind of events where your family will talk about you like a dog for all eternity if it doesn’t go well.  But, I don’t care.  I love the adventure of trying something new.  So far, my family has been pleasantly surprised.

What is the one modern convenience that you cannot do without?

I can’t do without my washing machine.  I have washed loads of clothes by hand before and let me tell you…I am grateful to be a woman of this era.  A close second is the epidural. J

What is this romance writer’s idea of the “ideal romantic evening”? 

Kids off somewhere safe and loving,

My husband,

Our bed,

Good Indian food,

Lots of laughter and talking

Good sci-fi movie

Great sex

Cuddle

Sleep

{repeat if time/energy permits}

 How do you describe yourself? How would your family and friends describe you? 

I think of myself as an introvert with extrovert tendencies.  When I’m out, I love to meet people and chat them up.  When I am at home working, I won’t open my mouth to say a word all day long. No phone. No email. No TV.  Just silence.

I think, my family and friends would tell you that I am a person of opposites – as much as I am one way, I am another.  I can be silly and light in one setting and very, very serious in another. I think they would say that I am passionate in the things I care about, fiercely protective of those I love and a little bit crazy, but it runs in the family so no one really notices.

And lastly, no interview of a writer would be complete without this question: what is your favorite comfort food?

Cookies and Ice cream….Yum! Yum! Yum! But in a pinch, any form of sugar will do J

 What is your favorite season? What do you love about it?

I love Spring because everything is new and it feels as sweet as the reward after a long, hard struggle.

 

TOUR GIVEAWAY DETAILS – OPEN INTERNATIONALLY

To celebrate the release of THE RED ORDER, Cerece is giving away the following prizes when the tour ends:

GRAND PRIZE:

Autographed copies of Order of the Seers and The Red Order, 2 bookmarks, and a gift bag

 

2nd prize:

Autographed copy of The Red Order.  2 bookmarks and a gift bag

 

3rd Prize:

Autographed copy of The Red Order and a bookmark.

 

BONUS SURPRISE GIVEAWAY:  Follow the tour and leave a comment at EVERY blog participating.  When the tour ends Cerece will pick one lucky commenter to receive a special surprise. J
a Rafflecopter giveaway

SERIES SPOTLIGHT INFO:

ORDER OF THE SEERS

Order of the Seers, Book 1

What would you do if you held infinite power in the palm of your hand?
Order of the Seers poses this question within a story that fuses action, mystery, romance, and adventure in a science fiction novel that keeps you at the edge of your seat.
Order of the Seers begins with the journey of Liam and Lilith Knight, a brother and sister who are hunted by The Guild, a ruthless world organization that seeks to capture and exploit Lilith’s unique ability as a Seer to envision the future. Soon after they are forced to leave their home, Lilith and Liam discover that she is not alone. Other Seers like Lilith are routinely kidnapped and enslaved by the Guild for the purpose of consolidating wealth and power around the world.
But from within the organization, Marcus Akida, a captured Seer with powerful visioning capabilities, quietly plots his daring escape with the help of a beautiful and tortured Seer named Alessandra. When the escaped Seers are drawn to the same remote commune in Iowa as Liam and Lilith, they each find a place where they can rebuild their lives and rediscover their passion for life and love. As the Guild’s efforts to find them intensifies, the Seers ban together with outlaws from the commune to fight back against the organization that threatens their lives – setting off a chain of events that will unleash the full power of the Seers and change everything we know about the true potential that lies dormant in each of us.

 

THE RED ORDER

Order of the Seers, Book 2

The Quest to Control the Power of the Seers Continues…

After successfully destroying the Guild’s Purification Center in Chicago, The Lost Seers, led by Joel Akida and Lilli Knight, embark upon a world-wide mission to save their kind from the tyranny of the Guild and unveil their greatest weapon – The Restoration Project.  Developed in secret, The Restoration Project has the potential to awaken the supernatural ability within every man, woman, and child on earth and bring down the very foundation of the Guild’s power and authority.

But the Guild has other plans.  Driven by the necessity for control, Crane Le Dieu creates The Red Order, a new league of clairvoyants whose sole purpose is to hunt down and annihilate the Lost Seers.  Without the Guild’s mind-controlling drugs, The Red Order is able to develop its gifts far beyond the capacity to see the future, honing their skills to become the ultimate threat against the Lost Seers.  But the question remains – will the power of The Red Order be enough to defeat them?

The Red Order continues the epic battle for freedom which began in Order of the Seers, revealing the secret motives behind an organization that exists to exploit and a renegade movement that seeks to usher in the next phase in human evolution.

About the Author:

My mother tells me that when I was a little girl, I would always ask for a book rather than a toy when I went to the store, but up until two years ago, I never considered that I could write a novel. As a lifelong lover of stories (bedtime and otherwise), I have enjoyed literary fiction and movies as a window into other worlds, perspectives and experiences.

Though I have written poetry since I was twelve years old, in my professional life my writing has focused on program design, evaluation and fundraising for community-based and international non-profits. Having grown up in what other people considered a “bad neighborhood”, economic development in poor communities is something I am very passionate about.

The first creative endeavor I ever wrote that was longer than two pages was an eight-page fan fiction piece for The X-files. It took me ten years before another awesome series (The Twilight Saga) inspired me to try my first short story, Spirit to Flesh. Two months after I finished that story, an image of a man named Marcus who could see the future flashed though my mind. Shortly after, I began to research and write what is now Order of the Seers.

I am currently a full-time mother of two children, a wife, and a part-time writer. In addition to completing the Order of the Seers trilogy, I have two other projects that are in varying stages of development: a children’s book series entitled Enchanted World: 5 tales of Magic in the Everyday and a book on understanding marriage/relationship advice for single women entitled More than the Ring.

Connect with Cerece:

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Amazon Page

Cerece Murphy’s THE RED ORDER Blog Tour

June 12-June 26

6/12- The Reading Café (series spotlight & review)

http://thereadingcafe.com/

6/13- Romance Junkies (interview)

http://www.romancejunkies.com/rjblog/

6/14- Cocktails and Books (series spotlight)

http://www.cocktailsandbooks.com/

6/15- Buffy’s Ramblings (series spotlight)

http://buffy-kennedy.blogspot.com/

6/15 – Scorching Book Reviews (series spotlight)

http://scorchingbookreviews.blogspot.com/

6/16- You Gotta Read Reviews (series spotlight)

http://yougottaread.com/

6/16 – The Next Chapter (series spotlight)

http://www.costhenextchapter.blogspot.com/

6/17- Paranormal Book Club (Guest Post & Review)

http://paranormal-bookclub.com/

6/18- Book Monster Reviews (Guest Post)

http://www.bookmonsterreviews.com/

6/20- Beach Bum Reads (series spotlight)

http://www.beachbumreads.com/

6/21- Night Owl Reads (series spotlight)

http://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Blog/Articles/Cerece-Murphys-THE-RED-ORDER-Tour-by-Tammie-King

6/22-  Books, Books & More Books (series spotlight)

http://booksbooksmorebooks.blogspot.com/

6/22 – Fandom Fanatic (series spotlight)

http://fandomfanatic.blogspot.com/

6/23 – Literal Hotties Naughty Book Reviews (series spotlight)

http://literalhottiesnaughtybookreviews.blogspot.com/

6/23 – Urban Girl Reader (series spotlight)

http://www.urbangirlreader.com/

6/24- Toot’s Book Reviews (interview & review)

http://tootsbookreviews.blogspot.com/

6/25-  LITERAL ADDICTION (series spotlight & excerpt)

http://www.literaladdiction.com/

6/25 – Wicked Reading by Tawania (series spotlight)

http://www.wickedreadingsbytawania.blogspot.com/

6/25 – Vampires, Werewolves & Fairies Oh My! (Interview)

http://vampireswerewolvesfairiesohmy.blogspot.com/

6/26-  Mad Hatter Reads (interview)

http://madhatterreads.blogspot.com/

6/26 – Nette’s Bookshelf (series spotlight)

http://nettesbookshelf.blogspot.com/

When was the moment that you knew you had to be a writer?

Michael wrote stories as a child and science fiction at University.  Stanley wrote essays and poetry in high school and edited various student publications at university.  For both of us there was a long hiatus until we met and had a great idea for a premise for a mystery novel.  Once we started writing it, we were fully addicted!

 

Who gave you the one piece of writing advice that sticks with you to this day?

Michael: My stepmother, Brunhilde Sears, is not a fiction writer but did a lot of academic writing in her career.  Academics can be quite long winded.  Her advice – for any type of writing – was to keep the language simple and direct – never use ten words when two carefully chosen ones will do.

Stanley:  In an indirect way, it was probably Dr. Stanley Roscoe, who was head of the Aviation Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois, where I was a graduate research assistant.  The Lab focused on human factors, which is the discipline of designing things so people can use them easily and effectively.  That whole notion spilled over to my academic writing and subsequently to my fiction.

 

Describe the “perfect” hero. What about the “perfect” hero for you?

We think a hero needs to be a complex and imperfect character because real people are complex and imperfect.  The reader must be able to identify with the hero at some level, and it’s the imperfections that allow that.  But the hero must follow a moral compass that ordinary people aspire to.  It is rising above the imperfections to do that that makes him or her a hero.

Our perfect hero enjoys food, wine, and cares deeply for his family.  Pretty close to our protagonist – Detective Kubu!

 

What has been your biggest adventure to date?

We’ve had some exciting experiences in Botswana!  We’ve spent nights on the Savuti plains of the Chobe National Park in Botswana tracking lions on the back of an open vehicle, fighting grass fires there, and flying into dirt strips with a plane that wasn’t too keen to develop any power.

You don’t appreciate what lions are really about until one eyes you after an unsuccessful hunt, thinking what an easy meal you would make!

 

When it comes to food, are you the adventurous type who will try anything once, or do you prefer to stick to tried and true foods and recipes?

Definitely adventurous!  We’ll try anything at least once.  Mopani worms?  They’re bony and taste of chicken.

Icelandic pickled shark?  Not bony, and we wish it tasted of chicken.

Sheep testicle paté?  Enough said.

 

What is the one modern convenience that you cannot do without?

The internet.  We write by exploring Botswana and brainstorming when we get together, plotting and outlining characters.  But Michael lives in Johannesburg in South Africa and Stanley splits his time between a coastal town there and Minneapolis.  We do almost all our writing when we’re apart.  And that works by swapping drafts back and forth by email and chatting extensively on VOIP like Skype.  Without the internet, it’s hard to imagine how we could work together successfully.  Maybe that’s why it took us around twenty years from the idea for our first book to actually getting going on it!

 

How do you describe yourself? How would your family and friends describe you?

Michael: Quite shy and not very pushy.  My interests are the wild areas of Africa – the environment, and the birds and animals, writing, reading, my academic work (I’m in computer science), food, wine, bridge, and my friends and family.  My idea of physical exercise is lifting a wine glass to my mouth (preferably a full glass so that more effort is required).  I think my friends would describe me the same way!

 

Stanley:  Over the years I have learned to disguise my shyness quite well.  I am very active and keep myself very busy.  I like to try new things.  I like to travel, fly airplanes, play sport, read, write, and enjoy food and wine.  I don’t have kids, but am close to my nieces and nephews.  Family and friends are important to me.  Sometimes my drummer is different from other people’s.  I think my friends see me the same way.

What project are you working on next?

We are working on a new Detective Kubu mystery to follow DEADLY HARVEST.  We’re also writing a stand-alone thriller which will be only partly set in Africa.

 

Any place we can find you in person or on the net this month or next?

 

We’re doing a number of book events over the next few weeks.  We’re also always happy to take questions and have discussions on our website or on Facebook.

 

Join us there at www.detectivekubu.com and https://www.facebook.com/MichaelStanleyBooks

Using Celtic Folklore in Romance ~ Dawn Marie Hamilton

 

I write Scottish inspired fantasy and paranormal romance. Sometimes I borrow from Irish folklore, justified by the amount of migration and cultural interchange that historically existed between Scotland and Ireland.

The word for the fae in Scottish Gaelic is Sithichean, in Irish Gaelic, Sidhe.

As legend tells it, once upon a time the Tuatha De Danann resided in Ireland. These kings and queens and heroes of the past were thought to derive from pre-Christian deities. A magical race known as the Milesians defeated the Tuatha De Danann and drove them out of Ireland. Some of the Tuatha stayed, and taking up residence in hollows beneath hillocks became known as the Daoine Sidhe.

Finvarra is the High King of the Daoine Sidhe. Some also believe him the King of the Dead. He is known as a benevolent monarch, ensuring plentiful harvests, horses of great strength, and riches to those he favors. Finvarra’s fighting skills are legendary and he is a master at chess.

He is also recognized as the womanizer of his race, notorious for his lust of mortal females, which he often kidnaps and whisks away to his subterranean palace. Which is so wrong. His queen, Oonagh, is beautiful beyond measure.

Oonagh is a secondary character in the Highland Gardens series. Centuries after banishing a halfling, faerie princess—fearing the lass would attract Finvarra’s attention—a fae prince convinces Oonagh to challenge the princess into making three unlikely matches. If the princess succeeds in joining the three couples, the queen will permit her, once again, to frolic in Tir-na-nog, land of ‘heart’s desire’.

To make the challenge nearly impossible, Oonagh insists on mates living in different centuries.

 

Do you believe in faeries? Answer the question in the comments for a chance to receive a gift copy (PDF) of ‘Just Beyond the Garden Gate.’

 

Just Beyond the Garden Gate – A Highland Gardens Novel

 

The Scottish Highlands—a place where faeries and brownies and other fae creatures dance through time. On occasion, so do mere mortals.

Determined to regain her royal status, a banished faerie princess accepts a challenge from the High-Queen of the Fae to unite an unlikely couple while the clan brownie attempts to thwart her.

Passion ignites when a faerie-shove propels burned-out business consultant Laurie Bernard through the garden gate, back through time, and into the embrace of Patrick MacLachlan. The arrogant clan chief doesn’t know what to make of the lass in his arms, especially when he recognizes the brooch she wears as the one his stepmother wore when she and his father disappeared.

With the fae interfering at every opportunity, the couple must learn to trust one another while they battle an enemy clan, expose a traitor within their midst and discover the true fate of the missing parents. Can they learn the most important truth—love transcends time?

Journey from the lush gardens of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina to the Scottish Highlands of 1509 with Just Beyond the Garden Gate.

 

 

About Dawn Marie:

 

 

 

Dawn Marie Hamilton dares you to dream. She is a 2013 RWA® Golden Heart® Finalist who pens Scottish-inspired fantasy and paranormal romance. Some of her tales are rife with mischief-making faeries, brownies, and other fae creatures. More tormented souls—shape shifters, vampires, and maybe a zombie or two—stalk across the pages of other stories. She is a member of The Golden Network, Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal, Celtic Hearts, and From the Heart chapters of RWA. When not writing, she’s cooking, gardening, or paddling the local creeks with her husband.

When  was the moment that you knew you had to be a writer?

Beth: I can’t even remember the moment. I was born with stories in      my head. I have always been a writer, a storyteller. I’m from the Deep South—we’re  all storytellers But the best part is that when I am observing the world, my head and heart are always creating stories. I  keep a notepad in my purse. We can be anywhere, at restaurant, riding in  the car and I will have ideas, just people watching. In the Deep South, storytelling is in our culture. On a warm summer night, the front porch beckons as the fireflies glitter around the yard, and we gather under the porch light to tell stories.

Who gave you the one piece of writing advice that sticks with you to this day?

Beth: Hahaha—that brings back such a funny memory. My sixth grade teacher said, if you can shut  up and write, I’ll let you read your stories to the class…so basically “shut up and write!” was the advice. She really didn’t say shut-up but the problem was I was such a talkative person, still am, that she finally got frustrated with moving me around the class and gave me the option: If I could stop talking and write my stories down, she’d let me read my work to the class each week. It was then and there that BECAME a writer!

Describe  the “perfect” hero. What about the “perfect” hero for you?

Beth: My perfect hero is old-fashioned. He rides in and makes everything all better. He’s chivalrous too, a true southern gentleman. But loves and respects his sweetheart and loves it when she shines. He doesn’t mind standing in her shadow sometimes too. He’s secure in himself. He understands you when you have no words for all you feel. He can offer one simple touch and you feel better. Just a look into your eyes and you know he get’s you and you’re not alone. A hero sees you at your worst and still thinks and tells you you’re beautiful. “Perfect” can be anything, it doesn’t have to have the smooth ripped muscles, the great hair and gorgeous eyes and a helicopter and a yacht. They just have to have great hands and a soft heart…although that whole yacht-helicopter things works pretty well too.:)

What  are some of your favorite pastimes? Do you have any hobbies or  collections?

Beth: I love photography. I literally have thousands of pictures in      files, I love close ups of nature in action, an angry sea, hundreds of      birds in flight and pictures of my favorite person in the world, my      handsome son, especially when he’s laughing or thinking.

What  has been your biggest adventure to date?

Beth: My life with my husband has been a huge adventure! He is a TV writer and we have moved literally over 30 times in as many years! I have lived on both coasts, the gulf coast, and two Great Lakes! I have been to  two inaugurations of the President, jumped into a boat full of snakes, (no  idea it had snakes) I was rescued as my husband scooped me up like a  duffel bag under his arms and ran with me! And the craziest adventure has      been living in LA and working on The Young and The Restless—when my all-in-one-girdle  snapped and I felt my left breast spring for sweet freedom! The list of adventures is worth an entire new trilogy!

If   your fairy godmother waved her wand and whisked you away to the location  of your choice, which place would you choose, and why?

Beth: Although my dream is to see the castles in      Scotland and the pubs in Ireland, when I think of my grandmother’s screened-in      front porch and her glider, that is my safe place in my heart. I really      want to go to the South Pacific if we’re really dreaming! You know, Bora      Bora, Figi, New Zealand. But just one place, I would have to go to Ireland      and Scotland. I’m related to King Robert the Bruce, so the Celtic thing runs in my blood! Plus I just swoon over that Irish accent!

 When comes to food, are you the adventurous type who will try anything once,  or do you prefer to stick to tried and true foods and recipes?

Beth: Okay, tough question…I will try things but  I also know what I like. So when I order at a restaurant, I get what I      know I like and I will taste whatever my husband orders…he’s the big food  adventurer! I love to try new recipes too and my favorite thing to do is      change up recipes. I usually cook without measuring, just throwing things      in and tasting as I go. I DO love my Southern food!! My very favorite food      in the world is Fried Green Tomatoes!

What  is the one modern convenience that you cannot do without? 

Beth: I cannot live without my cell phone!!! OMG cannot even imagine      it! It keeps me close to those I love the most when I can’t be near them, especially      my son at college and my mom who is over 2000 miles away from me. I miss      my peeps so I NEED my phone! I literally grows out of my hand now!

What  is this romance writer’s idea of the “ideal romantic evening”?

Beth: It will ALWAYS include dancing! I love a  good sexy meal, a roaring romantic fire, even outside like a campfire or a      fire-pit, good gooey desserts, making love outside.:)) But I also love      getting really dressed up going out to hear 40s big band music and dancing      swing, then maybe the roaring fire and slow dancing, slow kissing, and….

How  do you describe yourself? How would your family and friends describe you?

Beth: I am really outgoing and never met a  stranger! I love people and I love talking and telling and hearing     stories. I was a radio and TV talk show host for about 15 years and I just love people! I love to observe too and constantly good stories come to  mind so I make notes all the time. I am really free with my emotions and  the people I love always know it…every single day. I lost my dad in a car      accident when I was only 4 years old. I know first-hand that time is  fleeting and things can change in a moment, so I am very loving and kissy.   My family is everything to me and they always know it. But I’m pretty warm  and loving to nearly everyone!

What  is your favorite comfort food? I LOVE everything southern, so that IS comfort food!

Beth: Mashed  potatoes, black-eyed peas, macaroni and cheese, but gosh I love fried  green tomatoes!  LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!

What is your favorite season? What do you love about it?

Beth: Hands down I love Fall! The fire place is  roaring, the soups are cookin’ the oven is full of sweet concoctions like peach cobbler and it’s football season!!! I am a major ALABAMA CRIMSON      TIDE fan! It’s my alma mater and it’s in Tuscaloosa, Alabama where I grew  up. My Crimson Tide is the national champions college football team…15 times!! We hold the record! So tailgating is huge and so Fall id my very  definite favorite season!! I love everything about Fall too, from the  brilliant colors, and warm nubby sweaters, and cuddling in front of a fire  outside at night. One of my favorite memories is sitting by the fire-pit      on an autumn night and telling ghost stories eating, smores and hotdogs.  It’s a warm cuddly season! Suits me perfectly.

What  is the one modern convenience that you cannot do without?

Beth: (See above)

What is this romance writer’s idea of the “ideal romantic evening”?

Beth: (See  above)

What project are you working on next?

Beth: I am just starting the new Sassy Belles trilogy starring new Sassy Belles, plus my previous  Belles! (So far, readers can’t live without the out-spoken Vivi!) This trilogy is super exciting and is set in an old historic antebellum home      that the women inherit then turn into a bed and breakfast inn. Ghosts, handsome men, buried treasures, and unexpected surprises will all be part of the fun! And of course quirky southern characters will be part of the fabric. And… some people just aren’t who they seem to be! We’ll meet one      of the original Belles who moved away as a teenager and her funny, twin  sisters. I love these new Belles and I think everyone else will too!

Any  place we can find you in person or on the net this month or next?

Beth: YES! I am doing several signings throughout  the South! Check my website for current locations! www.thesassybelles.com

Blurb: Meet the Sassy Belles

They’re strong as a mint julep, sweet as peach cobbler, and no matter what, they stick together.

There are only two seasons in Tuscaloosa—football and waiting-for-football. When Lewis Heart, football announcer and voice of the Crimson Tide, vanishes after an impromptu romp with Vivi Ann McFadden at the Fountain Mist Motel, Vivi does what any Southern woman would do: call her best friend, Blake O’Hara Heart, attorney-at-law.

With the town gossip swirling around them, Vivi and Blake are determined to find out what happened to Lewis and clear Vivi’s reputation. Because after all, men may come and go, but the Sassy Belles are forever.

Not since Steel Magnolias have we fallen in love with such sexy, strong and hilarious Southern women. So grab your best girlfriends and join these Belles on the first of many joyrides through the Deep South….

Click here to buy your copy today!

Author Bio: Beth Albright is a Tuscaloosa native, former Days of Our Lives actress, and former radio and TV talk show host. She is a graduate of the University of Alabama School of Journalism. She is also a screenwriter, voice-over artist and mother. She is married to her college sweetheart, Ted. A perpetually homesick Southern Belle and a major Alabama Crimson Tide fan, she splits her time between San Francisco and, of course, Tuscaloosa.

Genre: Historical Romance

Tone: serious

Heat Level: hot (not erotic hot though)

Publisher: Kaylea Cross

Publishing Date: May 2013

Series, #: Not a series

Format: digital

Words: 97,000

Back Cover Blurb:

The Civil War has torn Brianna Taylor’s family apart and made her a widow. Determined to ease the suffering of the wounded crowding the Union hospitals and honor the memory of the man she loved, she embarks on a career as a nurse. But then he arrives—a patient who makes her feel alive again in spite of her resolve to stay detached.

Captain Justin Thompson understands the cost of war all too well, yet he felt compelled to fight for the Union his father died defending. Wounded at Cold Harbor and left to die at a military hospital, he owes his life to Brianna, who seems determined to guard her professional boundaries despite his best efforts to breach them. Just as he’s winning the battle for her heart, he’s forced to return to the front of a cruel war that could very well separate them forever.

Grab Your Copy of THE VACANT CHAIR at:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Vacant-Chair-ebook/dp/B00CKBJZT4/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1369066972&sr=8-1

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-vacant-chair-kaylea-cross/1115276058?ean=2940044502604

Kobo Books: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/The-Vacant-Chair/book-aoUTbhCmnESZZA3twmiOxQ/page1.html?s=NwpiSjcPzUat_N9DSBn7BA&r=1

Meet Author Kaylea Cross:

Kaylea Cross writes edge-of-your-seat military romantic suspense. Her work has won many awards and has been nominated for both the Daphne du Maurier and the National Readers’ Choice Awards. A Registered Massage Therapist by trade, Kaylea is also an avid gardener, artist, Civil War buff, Special Ops aficionado, belly dance enthusiast and former nationally-carded softball pitcher. She and lives in Vancouver, BC with her husband and two sons.

Website: http://kayleacross.com/v2/

Blog: http://kayleacross.blogspot.ca/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kayleacross

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kaylea-Cross/62909709297?ref=ts

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2902054.Kaylea_Cross

Giveaway Details:

Kaylea is gifting a $50 eGC to Amazon.com or B&N.com (winners choice) to one lucky commenter during the tour. The more stops a reader leaves a comment on, the greater their chances of winning. Extra entry points can additionally be earned when a entrant ‘shares’ via the Rafflecopter widget. When friends follow the link that was shared back to the post, the sharer earns a point. Please follow the Rafflecopter directions, as well as see full Terms and Conditions for additional information.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Stops:

http://litconnect.com/virtual-book-tour-the-vacant-chair-by-kaylea-cross

Additional Information:

Kaylea is hosting a Twitter party to celebrate the release of her first historical romance, THE VACANT CHAIR!

When: June 4, 2013; 7–8pm EST

What: Twitter party to celebrate the release of THE VACANT CHAIR!

Hashtag: #thevacantchair

Host: @KayleaCross    | Moderated by:  @lit_connect

LOTS of pre-registration and door prizes are being given away!

LOVE IN ELECTRIC BLUE ~ Westlake Enterprises

It’s more than chemistry, more than love: it’s electric.

Remy Davis does her best to live in the now, never sure when she’ll be forced to run again. She loves her work at Buchanan Investigations—there’s no better place for a woman with her special talent for controlling electricity—but she knows better than to let down her guard. And then everything changes when a man from her past, the man she never stopped loving, reappears in her life.
J.D. never thought he’d see the girl he’d once loved, the woman he thought had betrayed him. The chemistry he and Remy once felt is as strong as ever. Old wounds need time to heal, but time is running out on second chances.
A villain bent on returning them to his twisted experiments has resurfaced. But this time J.D. won’t let Remy face the madman alone: he’ll harness every ounce of his abilities to rescue the one woman who turns electric in his arms.