MAKE ME HOWL by SUSAN SHAY

Literary Nymphs Interview

Title: MAKE ME HOWL     

Author: SUSAN SHAY     

Publisher: THE WILD ROSE PRESS

Genre: PARANORMAL ROMANCE

Release Date: AVAILABLE NOW ON KINDLE, PAPERBACK AND OTHER DIGITAL FORMATS ON NOVEMBER 15, 2013

Do you write in more than one genre?

 My first book, TO SCHOOL A COWBOY, is a romance, my second book, BLIND SIGHT, is a paranormal suspense romance, and this book (my third) MAKE ME HOWL, is a paranormal romance.

What if any, is the hardest part of writing for you?

 Because of the story ideas that keep popping into my brain, staying with the story until "the end" without starting another book is the hardest part.

What inspired the story?

 Marilyn Pappano, author extraordinaire, my mentor and critique partner, sent me the first chapter of a light paranormal she'd written that I absolutely loved. It was fun, funny and made me want to read more.

I thought, "I want to write a book like that, but different. Something that's fun to read and even more fun to write." When I first started writing the book, I called it Wolflit. Then the real name came to me . . . MAKE ME HOWL! 

Make Me Howl Blurb:

When Chase Holliday's gaze first met mine, something tingled on my end. He was hot. Dark blue eyes, a square jaw, hair that was just a little too long, and this way of focusing that made me wonder if I should attack or run.

 And I never run.

Together we'd make a pair anyone would sit up and notice--at least that's what I thought. Then I learned that he planned to wipe werewolves from the face of the planet. And since I was born with an active werewolf gene, well, let's just say our twain could never meet.

Until a Blood Moon occurred while I was in heat and all my hard earned control went slamming out the window with me right behind it. That's when I learned that, like wolves in nature, werewolves mate for life.

I'm in deep trouble.

EXCERPT:

I took a moment to settle myself, to find my center. Arranging my hair so I was well covered, I got to my knees, then sat on my heels. “You know, last night, when you and Doc abandoned me, Norman became a huge pest. He kept at me, wanting me to

dance with him.”

Bella’s “Um” irritated me. Annoyance tingled my exposed skin, running along my collarbone and down the insides of my arms. “He wouldn’t leave me alone. It was so gross.”

I straightened as angry lightning strikes marched down my back. “Then he insisted I finish my drink because he wanted to buy me another. Bella, I thought I was going

to have to decapitate him to get him to leave me alone. I decided to just take off and let you find another way home. But after I finished my drink—and I only had the one Doc bought me—I don’t remember anything. It’s as if I got lost in the night.”

I gathered my fury like a fiery orb in my chest. “You know I never have a memory lapse except during a blood moon phase or if I lose control. I wasn’t that angry.” A simple full moon hadn’t done that to me since I was three years old.

“That son of a cur must have slipped me a roofie. Why else would I have been out of control?” I allowed my rage to explode as I thought about the man putting a date rape drug in my drink. My body stung as the bristles burst through my skin, but I exalted in the sensation as my face narrowed, then lengthened. I loved the feeling of my body shifting from human to wolf shape. There’s never anything better than the power surge as it filled my muscles.

It’s exhilarating.

Jazzy Cannis, my heroine, has a personality that comes from my snarky inner being. It was great being able to turn loose that little inner demon inside. So! Much! Fun!!! J

About Susan Shay

I’m one of six kids, four sisters and a brother, and we all agree we had the best parents in the world. A real Leave-It-To-Beaver upbringing. We all like our hometown so much five of the six of us still live there.

I’m a reader first–I’ve been reading ever since I can remember. And when I couldn’t read, I’ve always made up stories to entertain myself.

I had a blind date on December 7 a few years ago, and married a that guy five months later. We have three sons. When I had the third one, I took a Louis Lamour book with me on the delivery table. The nurse finally wrestled it away from me when the baby was ready to make his appearance.

Almost as soon as the youngest was walking, we bought a pharmacy and I went to work full time. At first it was only supposed to be for a couple of weeks. Those two weeks lasted a looooong time. :-)

As soon as I had the time between playing with the husband and kids, cooking, laundry and work, I started writing my stories down. Much more fun! I sold my first short story to a children’s Sunday School paper. I made $35.00, and the publisher issued it twice!

I’m not only a reader and writer, I’m a knitter, a gardner and a darn good cook if I do say so myself. And I have an alter-ego I call Terminally Curious, because I am, truly, terminally curious. 

Links

Website http://smalltownworld.wordpress.com/

Facebook http://facebook.com/SusanSpessShay

Twitter https://twitter.com/shaywriter

GIVEAWAY:

• One winner at each stop will receive a book of their choice from Susan's backlist!
•  One GRAND PRIZE winner will be drawn at the end of the tour will receive an amazing Gift Basket full of goodies!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/da76ce17/

Crimes Against Magic/Born of Hatred by Steve McHugh

Literary Nymphs Interview

Title: Crimes Against Magic/Born of Hatred Re-release

Author: Steve McHugh

Publisher: 47North

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Release Date: 17 September 2013

Do you write in more than one genre?

I have stories that I want to write which are not Urban Fantasy. I have a pure fantasy book and a steampunk one I’m itching to get to, but Urban Fantasy is the genre I love writing in. I’ll fit the others around that.

What if any, is the hardest part of writing for you?

Waiting on finding out if people like it. You can have your crit partners like it, your beta readers or your editor, but it’s all dependent on finding out if the public like that. That first few weeks is pretty nerve wracking.

What inspired the story?

It sounds incredibly corny, but my kids inspire me to write. When my eldest was born 9 years ago that was when I got serious about writing.

Besides that, Crimes Against Magic was just a story I wanted to tell. I wanted to write books that I’d enjoy, so I did. Thankfully other people enjoyed it too.  The same is true of Born of Hatred, they’re both books that I’d buy and read.

Book blurb:

Crimes Against Magic:

Hellequin Chronicles: Book 1

How do you keep the people you care about safe from enemies you can’t remember?

Ten years ago, Nate Garrett awoke on a cold warehouse floor with no memory of his past—a gun, a sword, and a piece of paper with his name on it the only clues to his identity. Since then, he’s discovered he’s a powerful sorcerer and has used his magical abilities to become a successful thief for hire. 

But those who stole his memories aren’t done with him yet: when they cause a job to go bad and threaten a sixteen-year-old girl, Nate swears to protect her. With his enemies closing in and everyone he cares about now a target for their wrath, he must choose between the comfortable life he’s built for himself and his elusive past. 

As the barrier holding his memories captive begins to crumble, Nate moves between modern-day London and fifteenth-century France, forced to confront his forgotten life in the hope of stopping an enemy he can’t remember.

  

Born of Hatred:

Hellequin Chronicles: Book 2

There are some things even a centuries-old sorcerer hesitates to challenge…

When Nathan Garret’s friend seeks his help investigating a bloody serial killer, the pattern of horrific crimes leads to a creature of pure malevolence, born of hatred and dark magic. Even with all his powers, Nate fears he may be overmatched. But when evil targets those he cares about and he is confronted by dire threats both old and new, Nate must reveal a secret from his recently remembered past to remind his enemies why they should fear him once more.

Born of Hatred, set in modern London with historical flashbacks to America’s Old West, continues the dark urban fantasy of Crimes Against Magic, the acclaimed first book in the gritty and action-packed Hellequin Chronicles.

Bio: Steve’s been writing from an early age, his first completed story was done in an English lesson. Unfortunately, after the teacher read it, he had to have a chat with the head of the year about the violent content and bad language. The follow up ‘One boy and his frog’ was less concerning to his teachers and got him an A.

It wasn’t for another decade that he would start work on a full length novel that was publishable, the results of which was the action-packed Urban Fantasy, Crimes Against Magic.

He was born in a small village called Mexbrough, South Yorkshire, but now lives with his wife and three young daughters in Southampton.

Where can we find your website?

http://stevejmchugh.wordpress.com/

The Reunion by Adriana Kraft

 Adriana Kraft for Literary Nymphs

Thanks so much for having me here today.
 Hubs and I are so excited – our newest release,
The Reunion, is *FREE* all day today at Amazon!
 Here’s the link: http://www.amazon.com/The-Reunion-ebook/dp/B00F30CTLK. 

It’s already received several five star reviews at Amazon, and a Top Pick at Night Owl Reviews.

Tell us about Adriana Kraft.

Adriana Kraft is the pen name under which my husband and I write Erotic Romance for Two, Three or More. We love crafting stories and scenes to knock your socks off with their sizzling heat. First published seven years ago, we now have over thirty novels and novellas available at http://adrianakraft.com/books. Romantic pairings include straight m/f, lesbian, bisexual, ménage and polyamory, in both contemporary and paranormal settings. We work and travel full time in our motorhome and are currently based in Las Vegas, one of our favorite places to be – maybe you can come join us there for Hot Mojave Knights in October!

Where and/or how do you find the greatest inspiration?

Anything in our lives can spark inspiration for our books – though of course we never recreate any personal event exactly, just elements. We love to visit places where we may want to set a story – for example, we spent a week poking around the South Dakota prairie visiting historic sites, museums, and just getting a feel for the land, with the idea that we'd set some books with characters who have prairie backgrounds. We use the internet a lot to research specific places, occupations, and even weather. In The Diary our hero and heroine dine at a restaurant in Stratford upon Avon—when they do so, they select from the actual menu that’s available on line. We've 'been' at the top of the Eiffel Tower looking through a 360 degree webcam recalling the layout of the city. We'd each traveled to Paris years ago and visited the Louvre—while writing a book that is still in the pipeline, it was very helpful to revisit the city just as our characters did.

Which appears first when contemplating a new project: A character, the plot and/or the title?

Usually a kernel of a plot idea is first, although sometimes a character pops out at us and demands a story. Once we were driving through a small Lake Superior town and saw a house painter getting out of the truck to start a job – when we got closer, we could tell it was a woman. Believe me; she’s got her own story. Another time an interaction we noticed at an interstate rest area begged for explanation and we had the plot sketched out before we were another hundred miles down the road. But always as soon as we have the broad plot arc, we pour a lot of time into getting to know the characters: what they love and hate, what they fear, what drives them, what they hope for, where they’ve come from, what matters to them. Lots of this stuff never actually gets on the pages of the story, but it’s what makes them coherent and drives their responses to the obstacles we throw at them. Titles? Sometimes those are the hardest challenge. Recently we didn’t come up with the true title of a novella until it was in final edits!

What’s the hardest part of a novel for you to write: Beginning, middle and/or end? Why?

I’m not sure any one part is harder than any other. We do so much character analysis and back-story development that the story is practically ready to write itself by the time we start putting it on the page. Sometimes, though, after the beginning is drafted we realize we haven’t dropped the reader into the best spot to set the hook, so we have to rearrange things a bit. Once we’re over that hurdle it feels like the characters take over and keeps the story rolling – truly sometimes we think they do have an existence outside of normal reality, and they’re just waiting for us to get it right.

Do you suspect there will be a change as far as trends goes, with what will be all the rage in a week’s, month’s, or year’s time?

I have to confess I’m often baffled by trends and we don’t pay a whole lot of attention to them. We pretty much write to a niche market – erotic romance, ménage, LGBT, and hot sex at any legal age. Not all our characters are baby boomers, but many are, and we especially write for that audience, to celebrate staying sexually active and satisfied across the life span. What could be better, really?

Along those lines, we’ve been really happy to see a trend of increasing acceptance for LGBT romance. M/M was certainly the leader and broke down barriers early on, but increasingly there’s acceptance for all varieties of sexual identity and orientation. Since we write a lot of lesbian and bisexual heroines, we’re very encouraged by this trend.

Writing sex/romantic scenes can be a challenge for some authors. Do you find it difficult? If yes, how do you compensate? If no, where do you draw your inspiration?

Um, not difficult. We keep our sex scenes fresh the same way couples keep the sex fresh in their relationship! Seriously – there’s a limit to how many appendages can go into how many openings, but there’s no end to the nuances of each specific sexual encounter in anyone’s life. Sexual experience is so deeply influenced by context – mood, stage of the relationship, events that just took place or are anticipated – so many variables that make each encounter unique. In addition, in fiction, the sex scene only goes on the page if it also serves to drive the relationship/story arc forward. Thank goodness we don’t require that criterion for every personal sex scene!!

Do you have a method you use to write the sensual parts? Do you prefer the sex to be open and bold? Or left to the imagination?

We do try to keep a balance, since variety is part of what keeps erotic interest alive. Sexual activity between (or among, since we write ménage) our characters is never hidden and often very bold. But there’s a lot to be said for letting the reader’s imagination heighten the tension. We don’t always put the entire sexual encounter on the page. We might drop the reader in after the characters have gotten started, for example, or allude to an encounter through having a character remember snippets of it. Whatever turns us on! Which, btw, is the major criterion: we read all our scenes out loud, and if they don’t get the proverbial juices flowing, it’s back to the drawing board for serious edits.

Tell us about your latest release – and of course, we’d love an excerpt.

We’d love to! The Reunion is a polyamory story about two women and one man. It was a challenge to write, keeping a balance across the three characters and tracing the evolution of each pair of relationships. We hope readers will agree that these three deserve not only each other, but their happy ending. The excerpt below offers a peek into Sarah’s skill at playing Adam, even when he thinks he’s in charge.

BLURB – THE REUNION

Dark and brooding, Adam Granger was always the bad boy out of reach – but now he’s in Sarah Atkinson’s bed, the morning after their twentieth high school reunion. When Adam beats a retreat to his Pacific Palisades estate, former good girl Sarah throws caution to the wind and pursues him.

Petite copper-skinned Maria Ramirez greets Sarah at Adam’s front door. The former exotic dancer doesn’t challenge Sarah’s assumption she’s the maid – how long will it take the dark-haired beauty to figure out Maria is Adam’s live-in lover? Better yet, how long before Maria can entice her into their bed?

Determined not to rock his hard-won lifestyle, Adam resolves to push Sarah past her sexual limits so she’ll leave. When she stays, he watches helplessly as the two women fall in love with each other. Will they shut him out? And, if they let him in, what must he sacrifice? 

BUY LINK *FREE* through midnight tonight, 9/19/13

http://www.amazon.com/The-Reunion-ebook/dp/B00F30CTLK

TOP PICK at Night Owl Reviews

"The Reunion" by Adriana Kraft is a polyamory novel with real edgy characters with inclusive sexuality. I will just say this is not a read for the faint of heart. … I found "The Reunion" a very easy flowing smooth read. All the characters are well developed and so colorful. Once you start to reading you will be hard put to stop until you are at the end. … Very well written!   ArlenaDean http://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Reviews/Arlenadean-reviews-The-Reunion-by-Adriana-Kraft

EXCERPT

Adam groaned and brought his mouth to Sarah’s. She met his kiss with her own. It was a bruising kiss. Her hands continued stroking him until he had to back away. “You’ve become one hungry, sexy lady. Haven’t you?”

Her eyelashes lowered and then lifted. “Maybe I always was, and you failed to notice.”

She parted her lips and her tongue darted out like that of a snake. “Think of what you could have been having since you were sixteen.”

Roughly, Adam grabbed his temptress by the hand and half dragged her to the desk where, without urging, she bent over and braced herself on the wooden surface. He flipped the long dress over her back, baring her ass. He clutched a creamy butt cheek in each hand trying to stay focused.

She widened her stance. “If you’re going to spank me again, could you be a little more vigorous? The last time I hardly got warm.”

He growled something unintelligible. “I should spank you until you cry for mercy.”

“But you won’t,” she responded sweetly. “If I spend much more time bent over your desk waiting for you to decide what to do next, I’ll need to bring my own reading material. Reading contracts upside down is not my cup of tea.”

Adriana Kraft on the web:

Website: http://www.adrianakraft.com/

Blog: http://www.adrianakraft.com/blog

FaceBook Page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Adriana-Kraft/182846025133440

Twitter http://twitter.com/AdrianaKraft

GoodReads http://www.goodreads.com/author/list/1578571.Adriana_Kraft

Google+ https://plus.google.com/102791537641895264573/posts

No Turning Back by Deanna Jewel

Literary Nymphs Interview

Title:  No Turning Back

Author:  Deanna Jewel

Publisher:  Swallowtail Productions LLC

Genre:  historical romance

Release Date: 2010 

LN: Do you write in more than one genre?

Deanna: Yes, I write in three genres:  historical, time travel, and contemporary because I enjoy not being pigeon-holed in only one genre. That way I feel it keeps my characters active and I have many wanting their story told.

LN: What if any, is the hardest part of writing for you?

Deanna:  Keeping my butt in the seat! We run our own business and my time is require to be there also, which means I have to split my time between writing, blogging, and the office.

LN: What inspired the story?

Deanna: I’ve read historical romance since I was a teenager, reading Virginia Henley and Johanna Lindsey. I felt as though their writing pulled me into the story and wanted to be able to do that for my readers. I’d love to get No Turning Back in front of more readers so they can let their friends know the story may have done that for them. I take the reader to London in 1778, let them ride in Hyde Park, take carriages rides and be a part of swords fights aboard ships at sea. I’d also wanted to be able to wear the beautiful gowns worn at the balls and to dance to the orchestras with a handsome duke. No Turning Back has all of that and I hope the readers feel they’re taken to each location in the story.

EXCERPT:

North Yorkshire, England, 1775

            Michael ‘Nathaniel’ Clairmont, the Fourth Duke of North Yorkshire, crumpled the missive he’d received from his fiancée’s parents as he raked his fingers through his shoulder length hair. Fear tightened his chest as he stepped to the door and called to his squire. “Prepare Caesar, now!”

            Stepping back into the room, he addressed his longtime friend, Anthony Faulkner. “I’m going to see Lady Stockholm’s parents. Clarissa is missing. Are you with me?”

            Faulkner jammed his tricorn hat atop his head. “Bloody right I am!”

            Moments later, after meeting with the Stockholm’s, Michael urged his bay Barb to greater speed along side Anthony’s. An unnatural scattering of branches and leaves strewn about the road ahead caught his attention. He reined Caesar and dismounted for a closer look. Footprints of horses and men marred the dirt and led deeper into the woods where the underbrush lay trampled and broken.

            After tethering Caesar to a branch, he motioned for Faulkner to follow him along the path. A piece of green silk shimmered atop a briar bush, and Michael grabbed up the soft material. It was the color he’d last seen on Clarissa. The fragrance of jasmine assailed his senses. His eyes widened in recognition of the scent...the same one Clarissa wore!

            He gripped the material in his fist. Bile rose in his throat as fear knotted his gut. Though afraid of what he’d find ahead, he pushed forward; low-hanging branches slapped at his face and caught at his shoulder-length hair. He pushed the foliage out of his way and tromped the underbrush in his desperate search.

            When he reached out to block another branch, a silk stocking skimmed his face and he grabbed the stocking for inspection. Michael looked at Faulkner’s worried face, swore under his breath and moved on but a foreboding feeling ate at his senses, almost like being watched.

            He couldn’t miss a gown strewn atop the bushes. The shock that tore throughout his system stopped Michael dead in his tracks, his muscles recoiling in reaction. Meticulously arranged over the waist-high bushes, as if in preparation for wear, lay a dark green silk gown, a vicious tear low in the neckline. His gaze moved slowly over the material. Tightness gripped his chest, feeling as though someone had reached in and squeezed his heart, the pain so intense it burned. He touched Faulkner’s arm, and gritted his teeth. “It’s the gown Clarissa wore at the ball last night,^” he said in a gut-wrenching rasp. His gaze searched the area until the very thing he wanted to avoid seeing lay before him. His body froze.

            A bare, delicate ankle peeked from beneath the underbrush.

Lunging forward like a wild beast, ravaging the area, throwing branches and uprooting ferns, he uncovered her body...clad only in her white satin chemise, splattered with her own blood.

            His tortured scream echoed throughout the surrounding forest as he fell to his knees beside her battered body. Praying she might hear, he whispered her name. Touching her bruised cheek--he found it still warm. A flicker of hope ignited within his heart as he pressed his fingertips against the slim column of her throat. Moments later, finding no trace of a pulse, that slight flicker of hope extinguished itself. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts at who could be her killer.

LN: Do you have other books out? 

Deanna:  I released Whispers at Ghost Point in December 2012, which is a sequel to No Turning Back where I’ve reincarnated the characters 200 years later in a contemporary ghost story. The characters meet again, feel they know each other, yet aren’t sure why. The heroine helps renovate an old lighthouse where a ghost is determined to reclaim the heroine…dead or alive! If you love ghost stories, please check out the book at my website.

      I have a blog tour Grand Prize Drawing going on and all readers can enter by clicking HERE where they’ll also find links to other stops where more contest are going on that they can enter, too.

LN: Where can we find your website?

Deanna:  My site links are listed below. Ladies, thank you for having me chat with your readers this week!

Author Biography &Links 

Deanna Jewel lives in the Pacific Northwest and has been writing multi-genre romance since 1991. She is married to a retired captain of the fire department. He’s also owned his own businesses for 23 years. They have two Siamese cats: Zoie and Sinbad, who keep them entertained. Deanna has enjoyed reading historical romance novels for over thirty years, camping with her family, and traveling.

She writes to draw the reader into the story to experience what the characters feel, to show both the hero's and heroine's points of view, and to take the reader away from their every day stress to a place not yet visited.

A trip to Dubois, Wyoming, south of Yellowstone, inspired her time-travel novel. The landscape and town locations described in NEVER SURRENDER are real.  Jon Daley, a professor at Boise State University, translated the Shoshone language that you will find in the book. This novel won an Honorable Mention in the 2008 Quill Awards at Writing.com.

NO TURNING BACK, her historical romance, takes place in England, 1778, was released in April 2010, and is available in print, eBook and iBook for download to your electronic readers.

Her newest novel, WHISPERS AT GHOST POINT released in late December, 2012. Whispers takes place at an abandoned lighthouse in Wilmington, NC and is the sequel to No Turning Back. The characters are reincarnated into the present. Join Dana as she learns about her past while working toward her future. The dangers that lurk at an abandoned lighthouse pull her into a past she was unaware of but also involves a man she's never met...in this lifetime!

 Follow her books on Pinterest!

Her site links:

Website   http://deannajewel.com

Blog   http://deannajewel.blogspot.com

FanPageFB    http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=371589027638

     TinyURL    http://tinyurl.com/632gqmp

FaceBook    http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/deanna.jewel

Twitter    http://twitter.com/DeannaJewel (@deannajewel)

YouTube-Deanna   http://www.youtube.com/my_videos?feature=mhee

An Avid Readers Haven    http://avidreadershaven.com

Pinterest:  http://pinterest.com/deannajewel

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/6c54vxa

All Romance E-books:  http://tinyurl.com/3sfvg9v

B & N:  http://tinyurl.com/5t6ylwq

BookLocker-NS:  http://www.booklocker.com/books/4284.html

BookLocker-NTB:  http://www.booklocker.com/books/4618.html

Apple iTunes iBooks:  http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/deanna-jewel/id381551641?mt=11

SmashWords:  https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/deannajewel

Sony eStore:  http://ebookstore.sony.com/author/deanna-jewel_191411

The Incredible Mr. Razz by Bonnie Bliss

Blurb:
Miami Heat is in full swing…

Eve Masters is single, independent, and lonely. Weekends are full of her wild friends showing her a good time on the Miami strip. The curvy blonde has her hot skinny friends to contend with, however. Realizing that she is tired of coming home alone at night she heads over to the new local Animal Shelter. Colorful characters, and a feisty white cat soon steer her towards—the cat of her dreams.

Things aren’t all that they seem with Eve’s new house pet. It all starts with a messed up kitchen and then a ruined den, and ends in a late night dream…or is it?

Author Bio:

Bonnie Bliss is not just a willing submissive, but she is a wife and a mother. By day, she is a busy, stay at home mother. At night, she is a sultry storyteller. Her tastes go towards the dark and the extreme. She loves to twist up fairy tales and sweet stories we all know and love. Her lust for Dominance and submission has taken her into the dark inner workings of Sadomasochism.

Bonnie is a native of Southern California, and says that everything in the Katy Perry song, California Girls is totally accurate. She has done everything from waitressing, customer service phone rep., Corporate Real Estate, and spent a pretty impressive part of her life working for the Disney Corporation—including as a Disney Princess. When she’s not writing, she is ordering too many custom bows for her daughter, baking the best cupcakes in the world, going to Disneyland, laying on a beach, and sometimes playing hockey for release.

Goodreads Link:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18108604-the-incredible-mr-razz

Facebook Link:
https://www.facebook.com/bonnieblissauthor

Website:
http://www.bonnieblissauthor.com/

Twitter:
@bonnie_bliss

Uncharted Fate by Cynthia Racette

Literary Nymphs Interview

Title: Uncharted Fate

Author: Cynthia Racette

Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing

Genre: Women's Fiction with Romantic Elements

Release Date: Aug. 28

Do you write in more than one genre?

A: Yes, I write Contemporary Romance and Women's Fiction with Romance

What if any, is the hardest part of writing for you?

A: Revising—I write lean and then add details and descriptions and often internal dialogue later. I find that difficult, mainly because it is tedious.

What inspired the story?

A: A couple of things. First, I've always wondered how a woman goes on after the death of a spouse, both emotionally and economically. Second, I've feel so much empathy for people who are out of work and scraping to get by. Don't get me wrong—the book is not a downer; it's got many exciting and warm-hearted moments about people helping people. And the love interest brings the heroine back into the world of caring and passion. A few reviewers and critique partners have read the Uncharted Fate and loved it. I can't wait to have it come out and see if everyone else likes it as well.

BLURB:

A young family's lives are destroyed when the man of the house, Mike, is killed by a crazed criminal on his way home from work. Left virtually penniless, the family flounders under a mortgage suddenly too large, a teenage daughter so traumatized she becomes involved in drugs and stealing, and a younger son who believes it is his fault God took his father. Anna is now the head of a one parent family and must look for a job, with no experience and an irrelevant degree. Out of her element, out of money and without her first love, Anna struggles to cope.

Jeff Thomas is a divorced detective who brings in Anna's daughter Mallory when she's caught shoplifting and then finds himself entangled in the family's trouble. As times goes on, he realizes he's also falling in love with Anna. Can he take Mike's place in Anna's life and in that of her family? Before Jeff has hardly begun to try, a dangerous situation threatens to determine the fate of the woman he's come to love and Jeff is the one person who can save her.

Excerpt:
After dressing in something attractive because she was sick of sitting around in jammies, Anna went to the police station and asked for Detective Thomas. The desk clerk directed her to an office in the back corner of the first floor. She knocked on the open door and he looked up.

"Mrs. Lamoreaux. Come in. Have a seat. What can I do for you today?"

She sat in a plastic chair in front of his desk and fidgeted nervously for a moment.

 "I—ah, saw on the news last night that you caught the guy that killed Mike. It kind of threw me."

"Damn. I was afraid you'd hear that way. I'd have been there last night to tell you what happened but I got called out on a case and couldn't go. Then, I was going to take a long lunch and stop by to make sure you were okay."

"I don't think I am, really. I've had a hard time holding back tears since I saw the news. It was pretty awful."

He got up and came around the desk to her, taking her hand. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you. I should have been."

His hand felt warm and solid but it also made her feel guilty to accept his comfort. She pulled hers away.

 "Please. Just tell me what happened."

He did, in gentle tones, but she wanted more.

"Do you have a picture of him? I want to see what he looks like."

"You didn't see him on the news last night?"

"No, I turned it off."

"I'm not so sure it's a good idea for you to see him. It might prove to be very traumatic."

"I have to see him, detective. It'll help give me closure. I know it'll be painful, but in the long run . . ."

He gave her a long look before pulling the man's mug shot from a folder on his desk.

Anna stared at the man, and could see he looked thin and gaunt. He had long scraggly hair and glasses held together by masking tape across the top. She guessed he was about forty years old.

She didn't even notice that her breathing was getting fast and frantic, but Detective Thomas apparently did.

He gently pulled the photo out of her nerveless fingers and she didn't realize at first he’d taken it. Tears coursed down her cheeks and she leapt out of her chair, throwing a glance back at Thomas, who was sitting with his elbows on his desk and his eyes looking sad.

"I'm sorry. I have to go. Thanks . . ."

And she flew out of his office and ran to her car, collapsing in a puddle in the front seat, sobbing with great wrenching sounds as her head rested on the steering wheel.

The passenger door opened and Detective Thomas slid in. His strong arms pulled her over the console, onto his lap, and he sat with his arms around her as she cried her eyes out on the front of his dress shirt. Neither of them said a word.

BIO

My hubby and I moved to Buffalo, NY, to be with our daughters and grandchildren, so you can see that family is very important to us. We spend as much time with our wee grandchildren because we know what a short time they are little. I have written since I was a teen and was, at various times, a reporter, an editor, and an author. I joined RWA with my daughter Cassandra and we have each had great success since then.

In my spare time, we like to travel, especially to warmer climes in the middle of winter, swim in our pool here at home, read and watch hockey. We're big fans of the Buffalo Sabres. My hubby is a runner and I am a watcher—I watch him run. LOL I will read anything, including a cereal box but I draw the line at phone books.

Website www.cynthiaracette.com

Blog www.authorcynthiaracette.com

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CynthiaRacette

Twitter https://twitter.com/cindy_racette

Most Eligible by Lindsay Patton

Literary Nymphs Interview

Title:  Most Eligible

Author:  Lindsay Patton

Publisher:  Self-Pubbed

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date:   Original Release with Decadent Publishing:  January 31, 2010 – Rerelease:  August 1, 2013

Do you write in more than one genre?

I haven’t yet, but I plan to venture out into the world of mystery one day.

What if any, is the hardest part of writing for you?

The hardest part of writing is editing.  I had a great editor when I was originally published, but after it was released, I saw things I wish I had changed or caught in my final copy before I gave the okay to release it. 

The second time around, I had a wonderful author who is also a great and talented editor to go through with me line by line and edit, not only my original story, but the parts I embellished on.  It was great fun sitting down with her and laughing about everything.  I guess it helps that I call her, “Mom.”

What inspired the story?

My story is sort of a spin on those dating shows like The Bachelor and The Bachelorette.  I always thought those shows were ridiculous and that it was impossible to find love in that way, so I created a story about a guy who feels the same.

BLURB:

Gavin Dimarco is a journalist for the Los Angeles Times. As Gavin Martin, however, he is a successful author of historical mystery novels. When his agent calls with an opportunity to be the next reality TV “Bachelor,” he agrees—with one stipulation. None of the ladies vying for his heart can know his true identity until the end of the show. Gavin’s past has made him leery of women seeking his fortune, and that fear has left him alone, with only his dog and his love of reading as company. When Gavin meets the girl of his dreams right before Most Eligible airs, he’s ready to abandon the show. Everyone knows that you can’t find true love in a week on a TV show. When television’s version of reality meets Gavin’s reality, he has to make a tough choice—is he still eligible?

EXCERPT:

Gavin Dimarco is a journalist for the Los Angeles Times. As Gavin Martin, however, he is a successful author of historical mystery novels. When his agent calls with an opportunity to be the next reality TV “Bachelor,” he agrees—with one stipulation. None of the ladies vying for his heart can know his true identity until the end of the show. Gavin’s past has made him leery of women seeking his fortune, and that fear has left him alone, with only his dog and his love of reading as company. When Gavin meets the girl of his dreams right before Most Eligible airs, he’s ready to abandon the show. Everyone knows that you can’t find true love in a week on a TV show. When television’s version of reality meets Gavin’s reality, he has to make a tough choice—is he still eligible?

About The Author

Lindsay is the youngest of three, having been born in 1984. She grew up in New Orleans and now lives in the Lafayette, LA area with her husband, Chris and their puppy, Fiona.

She has been writing for as long as she can remember, but it wasn’t until 2010 that she decided to pursue a writing career and finish her first novel, Most Eligible. Her confidence and drive came from the most encouraging parents a girl could ask for, a wonderful husband, as well as some friends who have read the many short stories and other works she has written over the years.

Where can we find your website?

http://lindsaypatton.wordpress.com
Print Version:  https://www.createspace.com/4391324
Kindle Ebook:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ED97MBO
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lindsay-Patton-Author-of-Contemporary-Fiction/169558669742811
https://twitter.com/lindsaympatton
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4488078.Lindsay_Patton