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The Winter King by C.L. Wilson – Review, Interview & Giveaway

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The Winter King by C.L. Wilson – Review, Interview and Giveaway

 

The Winter King Banner

 

The Winter King.Nov 13jpegAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository / BAM

Description:
Wynter Atrialan, the Winter King, once lived in peace with his southern, Summerlander neighbors, but when the prince of Summerlea steals Wynter’s bride and murders his young brother, Wynter calls upon a dangerous Wintercraig magic called the Ice Heart and marches against Summerlea.

After three bitter years of battle, a victorious Wynter arrives at Summerlea’s royal palace to issue his terms of surrender. The prince of Summerlea stole Wynter’s bride and slew Wynter’s Heir. He wants the loss replaced. The Ice Heart is consuming him. Wynter hopes holding his own child in his arms will rekindle the warmth in his heart before he becomes the monster of Wintercraig legend, the Ice King.

The Summer King has three very precious daughters whom he loves dearly. Wynter will take one of them to wife. She will have one year to provide him with an Heir. If she fails, he will send her to face the mercy of the mountains and claim another princess for his wife. And so it will continue until Wynter has his Heir or the Summer King is out of daughters.

The plan is perfect—except for one small detail. The Summer King has a fourth daughter. One of whom he is not so fond. And she is a fiercely passionate creature, with a temper as volatile as the forces of her weathergift, the power of storms.

 

Review:
I have been waiting anxiously for C.L. Wilson’s new novel, The Winter King. I am happy to say it was a great book, which is something you have come to expect from Wilson. This is a standalone book, and not part of her fabulous Tairen Soul series.

In The Winter King, Wilson has created two wonderful characters in our heroes, Wynter, The Winter King; and Khamsin (Kham), the one woman who will stand up to the King, and is as powerful as he is.

Wynter, as described in the book description, was at peace with his neighbor Summerlea, until their young prince came for a visit, and took Wynter’s betrothed and killed his young brother. Revenge changed Wynter, as he embraced the terrible magic of the Ice Heart, in order to enact his vengeance against Summerlea. After having successfully won the war, he arrives at Summerlea with his terms to King Varden. Falcon, Varden’s son, has been in hiding all these years during the war, and Wynter cannot get revenge on him. Instead, he tells Varden, he wants one of his daughters as his wife, to give him a heir (which he lost at the death of his brother). If within one year, the daughter does not give him an heir, he will come back for the next daughter.

Kham is King Varden’s 4th daughter, whom he despises and hides in his mansion, not allowing her to be part of the family. She is treated very badly, with only her three sisters secretly visiting her. But when he is faced with losing one of his three daughters, Varden devises a plan to secretly give Kham to Wynter as his wife.

All this is early on, and what follows is a fantastic story as we follow Wynter, Kham and his army back to his home in Wintercraig. The road home is difficult, as Kham gets sick and barely survives. The chemistry between Wynter and Kham is off the wall right from the start. As the romance builds, there are so many obstacles and betrayals that threaten to destroy their budding romance.

Kham grew up all her life thinking The Winter King was an evil man, who would do anything to destroy Summerlea. Wynter, despite his intense feelings for Kham, could not allow himself to totally trust her, as he knew her loyalty was questionable. But with each passing day, each obstacle, each threat, each incident, their feelings for each other intensified.

I will not give spoilers, but this was such an exciting, at times intense action filled story, that had me worried about the fate of our heroes; with all the betrayals, near death situations, the many battles, that I could not put the book down until I found out what was going to happen.

I loved Wynter and Kham together. They were the perfect couple, even if no one believed in them. Wynter, with the Ice Heart, was very powerful, but he knew it could also destroy him. Kham is very powerful in her own right, as we watch her learn to handle her powers, and put them to good use during the threats on her life, as well as Wynters. Kham’s nickname is Storm, which should tell you something (her sisters were named Summer, Autumn, Spring )

As much as I loved Wynter, as he was so swoonworthy; but I loved loved Kham. She suffered so badly all her life, but she was strong, independent, powerful, and when given a chance, loving. Kham is one of the best heroines I have read, and I do have some favorites.

The Winter King was a fantastic magical ride in a land of war, hatred, revenge, betrayals and love. The Winter King is a must read. C.L. Wilson has done it again with a fabulous story not to be missed.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Author

 

Interview blue

CL Wilson

 

Hi Cheryl. Welcome back to The Reading Café.

TRC: We would like to start with some background information.

Would you please tell us about yourself?

 

 

C.L.   Hmm. Not sure what to say. I’m a wife, mother of three, an avid reader, writer, and movie buff. I love to crochet, and I’m teaching myself to knit. (Crochet is so much easier, imo.) I quit counting birthdays when I turned 21 – I figured I was legal then for all the things I wanted to enjoy in life – so when someone asks me how old I am, I honestly don’t know. I have to do math to figure it out (and I’m horrible at math—too much moving around during my formative mathematics years, and the new schools were never in the same place in study as the old schools were.)

I love genre fiction, in particular fantasy and romance, although a truly excellent book outside of those genres can also hold my attention.

My first novel, LORD OF THE FADING LANDS, was published in 2007 by Dorchester Publishing. It spent two weeks on the USA Today list. My second book, LADY OF LIGHT AND SHADOWS, which was released a month later, hit the NY Times extended list. I’ve got full length novels published (the Tairen Soul series, which was purchased along with my contract in 2011 by Avon / HarperCollins), I wrote a short story for THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF FUTURISTIC ROMANCE, a contemporary angel romance in a holiday-themed anthology, ONE ENCHANTED SEASON, which I self-published with two good friends, and I return to full length fantasy romance fiction with THE WINTER KING, published by Avon.

TRC: When and how did you first become interested in writing?

C.L.   Well, first, I was an avid reader. (Honestly, I think all writers must be readers first. I can’t think how it would work any other way.) I loved books before I knew how to read. My mother read to me constantly—she tells me that’s the only time I’d sit still and let her hold me when I was small—when I was curled up in her lap and she was reading a book to me.

I wrote my first story—an episode of the old TV sitcom Hogan’s Heroes—when I was 5 or 6. I used to write illustrated rhyming children’s stories to entertain myself (the Tales of Tiffany and Timothy Turtle), and I’d write really melodramatic short stories that I’d make my sister Lisette read. I knew I’d done well if I could write a story that would make her cry! Ha!

Then when I was about 13 or so, I discovered Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern and JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, and starting writing my own fantasy novels. I was 11 when I read my first romance (one of those 1970’s bodice rippers with names like Sweet Savage Rapture and Love’s Luscious Surrender). I definitely shouldn’t have been reading those, but I did and I was hooked. I started writing romance when I was sixteen or so.

TRC:  The Winter King was released today. Can you please tell us how you came up with the idea of this story? Is this a standalone or the start of a series?

C.L.   Well, as it so happens, THE WINTER KING was originally supposed to be a book written by someone else. My plotting buddies, The Starfish Club, and I came up with the idea for one of the other members. Which is a little funny, because this isn’t the sort of book she writes. Anyways, the idea wouldn’t leave me alone, so I finally called her up, begged her to let me take the idea and run with it. She said okay, and I was off to the races. The first hundred or so pages poured out of me. Then my manuscript TAIREN SOUL sold (to become LORD OF THE FADING LANDS & LADY OF LIGHT AND SHADOWS), and I shelved THE WINTER KING until after I completed the TS series.

Coming back to finish up a story I’d started five yeas earlier when I was in a different place mentally was a lot more challenging than I thought it would be, but I finally wrote the end last year and turned it in. The story turned out worlds different than what we originally plotted, but I love it.

It’s set in a totally different world than the Tairen Soul series, and although I do intend to write more books set in Mystral (THE WINTER KING’s world), it’s a standalone novel.

TRC:  Can you please give us a brief description of The Winter King?

C.L.   It’s a marriage of convenience story on the romance front and a “save the world from Ragnarok” on the fantasy front, but at its core it’s a story about wounded people overcoming betrayals and learning to trust again.

 Here’s the blurb:

Wynter Atrialan, the Winter King, once lived in peace with his southern, Summerlander neighbors, but when the prince of Summerlea steals Wynter’s bride and murders his young brother, Wynter calls upon a dangerous Wintercraig magic called the Ice Heart and marches against Summerlea.

After three bitter years of battle, a victorious Wynter arrives at Summerlea’s royal palace to issue his terms of surrender. The prince of Summerlea stole Wynter’s bride and slew Wynter’s Heir. He wants the loss replaced. The Ice Heart is consuming him. Wynter hopes holding his own child in his arms will rekindle the warmth in his heart before he becomes the monster of Wintercraig legend, the Ice King.

The Summer King has three very precious daughters whom he loves dearly. Wynter will take one of them to wife. She will have one year to provide him with an Heir. If she fails, he will send her to face the mercy of the mountains and claim another princess for his wife. And so it will continue until Wynter has his Heir or the Summer King is out of daughters.

The plan is perfect—except for one small detail. The Summer King has a fourth daughter. One of which he is not so fond. And she is a fiercely passionate creature, with a temper as volatile as the forces of her weathergift, the power of storms.

TRC:  When writing a storyline, do you envision actors as your characters? If so, can you tell us who you see in the roles of Wynter and Khamsin?

C.L.   I almost never do this. They are just “them,” the people I see in my mind. But if I had to pick an actor, I’d say Wynter might be played by Alexander Skarsgård or maybe a younger Dolph Lundgren. Khamsin is very definitely a young Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio.

TRC: Oh please, I love Alex. He would make a wonderful Wynter!

TRC: You have previously discussed returning to the Fading Lands. What can you please tell us about this?

C.L.   Yes, I will be heading back to the Fading Lands. I actually started Belliard vel Jelani’s book last year for NaNoWriMo, but I am currently working on the next Mystral novel, THE SEA KING, which my published wanted first. Once I’m finished with that, it’s back to Bel’s book.

TRC:  What are you currently working on, and what do you have planned for 2014/2015?

C.L.   I’ll be finishing up THE SEA KING the rest of this year, for a 2015 pub date, then in 2015, I’ll be concentrating on Bel’s book. I am hoping in the interim to offer a few smaller Fading Lands works for my Tairen Soul fans who’ve been so patient. Fingers crossed my schedule will permit it.

TRC:  What is your process in writing? Any specific place you like to write or special times of the day/night?

C.L.   Before I was published (and when I’d committed to finishing and publishing my TAIREN SOUL manuscript), I would get up and write from 3am-7am every day. I worked 50+ hrs a week and had three small children, so it was pretty much that or nothing.

Now, I do three to four scheduled Power Hours per day with friends (we conference call with starting word counts, set the timer, hang up and write for an hour, then call back to get final word counts and calculate our progress.) it’s super effective for all of us – like having an exercise buddy who keeps you on track, even on the days you really aren’t feeling it.

I may start doing the early morning thing again as well (although maybe more like 4 or 5-7am instead of 3!), just because I like the quiet, no pressure time to myself to just create.

TRC:  Many authors bounce ideas and information with other authors or friends and family. With whom do you bounce ideas?

C.L.   My plotting buddies (The Starfish Club)…and my power-hour buddies, which includes 3 of the 4 Starfish, plus a couple of friends. I also sometimes have crit night with another couple of writers who live near me.

TRC:  Would you like to add anything else?

C.L.   Just that I will be signing books this coming week in Katy, TX, Houston, TX, Mobile, AL, and Pensacola, FL. See my website Events page (http://clwilson.com/news-events/events/) for details.

 LIGHTNING ROUND  

Favorite Food: Sushi and Thai.

Favorite Dessert: Mango and sticky rice

Favorite Movie: Peter Jackson’s LORD OF THE RINGS (all of them)

Favorite TV Show: The Closer

Last book that you read: Storm’s Heart by Thea Harrison (reread for like the 5th time)

Dark or Milk Chocolate: Milk

Favorite character (male & female) not written by you: Vlad Tepesh (Jeaniene Frost), Ivory Malinov (Christine Feehan)

TRC: Love your choices, they are both two of my favorites

Dog or Cat: Purrrrrrr

Thank you, Cheryl for answering our questions. We look forward to continuing to read your books, and to work with you in the future. We wish you the best of luck with The Winter King.

You can learn more about C.L. Wilson at the following links:
Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads / Blog / Tairen’s Lair

 

Giveaway

Cheryl  is generously offering a signed paper copy of THE WINTER KING to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

4. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

5. Like C.L. Wilson on Facebook for an additional entry.

6. Giveaway is open to USA only.

7. Giveaway runs from July 29- August 1st , 2014

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Crimson Heart by Heather McCollum – Interview & Review

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Crimson Heart by Heather McCollum – Interview &  Review

 

Crimson HeartAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository

Description:
Elena has spent her entire life hiding her family name while walking the thin line between lady and servant in a Protestant household. Keeping the secret of her lineage has been a success for years, but now, with a new, fiercely Catholic queen on the throne, Elena’s Protestant caretaker is being targeted. And when Bloody Mary discovers Elena’s true identity, she must not only flee to Scotland for her freedom, but also for her life.

Highland warrior, Searc Munro, has secrets of his own. In a family of healers, his own dark, killing magic must never be known. But when his father’s life is threatened, Searc unleashes his lethal power to save him. With his clan’s suspicious glances and whispers plaguing him, he sets off alone, only to find another use for his magic in saving a beautiful lass being attacked in the forest.

Teaming up as exiles, Elena and Searc head toward Edinburg to find refuge. Yet, with a series of ritual killings haunting the city and a traitor attempting to assassinate Scotland’s regent, suspicion turns to Searc. As word of another British heir reaches the country, the two must find a way to trust each other, despite their secrets, before it’s too late.

 

Review:

Crimson Heart is book three in Heather McCollum’s Highland Hearts Series. Now for anyone who knows me, they know I don’t like reading series out of order, but I made an exception for this one and I wasn’t disappointed. I really enjoyed Crimson Heart and Heather’s story telling ability. It was fun, fast paced, filled with danger, suspense, intrigue, magic, and of course a lovely romance. I do believe I’ve now found a new author and I plan to go back and read her previous books in this series when I have the time. In the meantime, I went back and read the book synopsis on the previous books and they sound just as good as Crimson Heart.

Heather does a wonderful job of spinning her tale of a lady in hiding and on the run due to her lineage, and a hero who has a dark form of magic that he fears he will be labeled a monster should anyone find out. The pretense to this story had me hooked from the get go and it just carried me away on a fun and adventurous story that had plenty of twists, turns, danger and comical situations that kept me entertained from beginning to end. From the moment I met both Elena and Searc it was an instant like of both characters. When an author can get me to like characters from my first meeting of them, I know I’m in for an enjoyable read and that the author will spin an exciting and fun story.

Elena is quite the enjoyable female lead. She’s feisty, brave, intelligent and can hold her own with a bow and arrow in a fight. She’s not your typical lady of that time who would swoon at the sight of bloodshed, instead, she jumps right in there and helps out all the while protecting our dashing hero in a kilt. Oh yes, Searc is every bit the sexy powerful Highlander and Elena is the perfect woman for this poor crushed soul. Elena doesn’t see Searc’s magic as dark, demon cursed or however Searc would label himself. Elena was able to see past his magic to the brave and powerful protector that Searc is. Thanks to Elena Searc finally sees that his magic isn’t a curse, but instead a source of magic that allows him to protect those he loves and see no harm brought to them.

Searc, what can I say, he’s your dream come true sexy Highlander, and he’s got a very powerful form of magic. There’s nothing he wouldn’t do to protect those he loves and cares for, including Elena now, who’s somehow managed to get under his skin and worm her way into Searc’s heart. He’s so sweet with Elena, and had me melting as I read the scenes with Elena and Searc. Yes, she caused our poor highlander plenty of headaches as she’s quite the headstrong lass and very rarely stayed put when Searc told her too. Those scenes had me laughing out loud, but at the same time falling more and more in love with Searc over his growing feelings for Elena. Just as Elena helps Searc too see his magic isn’t a death sentence, he helps Elena come to terms with who she is, and that she doesn’t need to be afraid of her lineage anymore because he will always be there to love and protect her.

The romance between Elena is slow to build and nicely weaved around all the danger, intrigue and suspense that Ms. McCollum creates in her story. Elena and Searc both fear their lives are doomed due to who and what they are, but in finding one another they come to realize that they can have the one thing they never thought they would, love, and someone to love them unconditionally. Watching them slowly come to this realization, and learning to trust each other is sweet, and romantic and will have you shedding a tear by the end of the book with Elena’s unselfish actions to help Searc. That scene was expertly written and had me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what the outcome would be.

I know I’ve found a new author in Heather McCullom, and I think anyone who loves sexy powerful Highlanders, magic, a damsel on the run, danger, and intrigue with a good healthy dose of romance on the side, then I feel you too will have found a new author to put on your TBR list.

Until next time, happy reading everyone.

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Publisher

Interview beige 2

Heather-Sophie

 

Hi Heather. Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions today.We are always looking forward to reading about the author behind the book.

 

Heather:  Thanks so much for having me on The Reading Café!

TRC:  Would you please tell us something about yourself? 

Heather:  Let’s see – I’m a mom of three loud and spirited kids, ages 15, 13 and 7. I’m a dog mom of a crazy, rescued golden retriever and wife to my very own Highland hero, Braden. I’m also an author of historical, paranormal romance, an ovarian cancer ass-kicker, and a lover of baked goods fresh from the oven.

TRC:  Have you always been interested in writing? 

Heather:  I’ve written stories and poems since I was little. By high school I was writing romance for all of my creative writing assignments. Everyone thought I’d be an English major. I surprised them all by majoring in Cellular Immunology, a branch of Biology. I said that I didn’t like people telling me how to write. Ha! And now I have editors doing just that and it’s not so bad. It’s funny how I’ve come back around full circle to my first love, writing.

TRC: Is there anything (in general) you find particularly challenging about writing? 

Heather:  Oh gosh! There are so many things, but challenges keep us on our toes, right? Characters who refuse to follow my plot (Highlanders are stubborn) and just finding time to write while balancing a family are the two hardest parts of writing for me.  

TRC: Crimson Heart is the third book in your Highland Hearts series. For those who may not have read the first two books, can Crimson Heart be read as a standalone? 

Heather:  Yes, each book in the Highland Hearts series can be read alone, but past characters come into play in later books. Knowing something about those characters can make the reading more fun. So I recommend reading them in the following order:

HIGHLAND HEART – short prequel to Bk 1
CAPTURED HEART – Book 1
TANGLED HEARTS – Book 2
UNTAMED HEARTS – long novella, I call it Book 2.5
CRIMSON HEART – Book 3

TRC: Can you tell us the premise of Highland Hearts, and how many books do you have planned?

Heather:   Highland Hearts takes place in 16th century Britain and follows the Macbain and Munro clans. The characters journey from the rugged Highlands to King Henry VIII’s court in London and then back up to Edinburgh Castle, which was the seat of Scottish rule.  The series is a cross between The Tudors, Braveheart, and The Pirates of the Caribbean. And what makes it even more fun is the spark of magic within the series. All the women, descended from a magical healer from the 10th century, inherit the ability to move small particles such as blood and tissue to heal a body or air and water to affect the weather. Only women possess the magic, that is until Searc Munro reveals his secret in Crimson Heart.  I only had three books in mind but ended up publishing the prequel and then writing a long novella (Untamed Hearts) to give the reader more fun after Tangled Hearts. So Crimson Heart is supposed to be the last book in the series, although one of the characters at the end of Crimson Heart is begging me to write her story. So I’ll have to see : ) 

TRC: Would you please give us a brief description of Crimson Heart?  

Heather:  Sure! Here is the blurb.

Elena has spent her entire life hiding her family name while walking the thin line between lady and servant in a Protestant household. Keeping the secret of her lineage has been a success for years, but now, with a new, fiercely Catholic queen on the throne, Elena’s Protestant caretaker is being targeted. And when Bloody Mary discovers Elena’s true identity, she must not only flee to Scotland for her freedom, but also for her life.

Highland warrior, Searc Munro, has secrets of his own. In a family of healers, his own dark, killing magic must never be known. But when his father’s life is threatened, Searc unleashes his lethal power to save him. With his clan’s suspicious glances and whispers plaguing him, he sets off alone, only to find another use for his magic in saving a beautiful lass being attacked in the forest.

Teaming up as exiles, Elena and Searc head toward Edinburg to find refuge. Yet, with a series of ritual killings haunting the city and a traitor attempting to assassinate Scotland’s regent, suspicion turns to Searc. As word of another British heir reaches the country, the two must find a way to trust each other, despite their secrets, before it’s too late 

TRC:  You write both Historical Romance and YA Paranormal Romance. Do you have a preference? Have you ever thought about writing in another genre?

Heather:   I always love the book I am currently writing and the genre follows. I wrote the YA so my teen could read my books as my others are rated “R”. And I fell in love with the fun, snarky voices of my teen characters. But after a few months of slang, I start to yearn for my Highlanders again and usually find myself dreaming of Scottish brogues and brawny heroes in kilts.  I have all sorts of books in my head, waiting to be born. I have a contemporary romance ghost story series, a sci-fi dystopian trilogy, and a memoire based on my Russian grandmother’s life surviving a concentration camp in WWII. Although there is also another Scottish paranormal romance series whispering at me too.  

TRC:  You recently released Siren’s Song, a YA Paranormal romance. Is this a standalone or a series? Can you please give us a brief description of Siren’s Song? 

Heather:  Siren’s Song is definitely a standalone, but I am currently writing a sequel which follows one of the other characters in the book.  Jule Welsh can sing. She enthralls people with her bel canto voice. But it takes more than practice to reach her level of exquisite song; it takes siren’s blood running through her veins. Jule is starting her senior year at Cougar Creek High when her relatively normal world begins to resemble a roller coaster flying through a carnival scare house. Her mother is diagnosed as insane and committed, a psycho-stalker is snapping pictures of her to put into his homemade Jule-shrine, her voice is suddenly putting people into comatose trances, oh and the gorgeous new guy in town, Luke Whitmore, is interested in her . . . but also wants to kill her.  If you’d like to see the book trailer, it can be found here: SS Book Trailer (Psst, the house in the first shot was mine in high school and it was haunted). 

TRC:  You also have a series, Dragonfly Chronicles, which you note on your website that you are thinking about book #5. What is the status on this, and can you please give us a brief description of this series? 

Heather:  Yes, there is a 5th and final book coming in The Dragonfly Chronicles. I have just started writing Sacrifice and hope to release it early next year.  The Dragonfly ChroniclesA powerful Wiccan mother is hunted by a pack of thirteen bound demons. To save her four daughters before she’s killed, she hides each of them in a different time period with one of her magical powers. So each book takes place in a different era with the heroine possessing a different magical ability. In the fifth book, they will come together with their soul mates and the overall story protagonist, Drakkina (a spirit woman), to save the world from the demons.  

TRC:  What are you currently working on?

Heather:   Right now I’m writing the first draft of Sacrifice: Book Five in The Dragonfly Chronicles and also working on edits to the sequel to Siren’s Song, my YA.

TRC:  What is your writing process? Do you like to write at specific times, in a special place? 

Heather:  I’m a very visual writer. I like to see my characters (basic features & strong emotions) and settings (authentic historical details). So I create collages for my books. I take a day toward the beginning of each new project to cut out pictures of landscapes, people and objects that mean something to my story. I paste them on an open folder, poster board or even in a blank book to give me something to glance at while writing.

I’ve also started using a process that Blake Snyder describes in his screenwriting book, Save the Cat. It helps with plotting and pacing. I use a big white board, divided into four acts, and lots of index cards.

I have a lovely little writing desk with curvaceous, slender legs which I’ve named Eleri. I light my stained glass lamp (named Jule) and lose myself in my stories. But on cool days (I live in the south so below 90 degrees is a must) I sit with my lap top on my screened back porch to write. Out there I can listen to the birds and breezes and smell my herb garden. I write best before 3PM, partly because my energy level drops then but also my children are about to come home from school.  Last but not least, I must have a hot chai latte to sip to wake up my muse. She seems to require the taste of cinnamon to produce beautiful narrative and snappy, authentic dialogue.  

TRC:  Many authors have friends or family, that they bounce ideas and information back and forth. Do you have anyone you like to discuss your stories with? 

Heather:  I brainstorm with my 15yo daughter about my YA books. She helps me (while rolling her eyes) with teen slang and attitude.  I bounce ideas off my mom, husband, and girlfriends for my adult books. One of my friends, who is a technical editor in her day job, has become my beta reader and offers fantastic insight and catches my inconsistencies (especially eye color, don’t know why I can’t remember that!).

TRC:  What books, authors or people in your life have influenced your writing? 

Heather:  Every book I read influences my writing, from my first romance The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss to the screenwriting book I read a few weeks ago called Save the Cat by Blake Snyder. Karen Marie Moning opened up the world of paranormal Scottish romance with her time traveling Highlander series. Even Twilight has influenced my YA stories with its dangerous hero.  Gosh – everything has influenced my writing. I lived in a haunted house for five years. That certainly opened up my eyes and my mind to the unusual in the world. And I’ve recently fought and hopefully won the war against ovarian cancer with fifteen months of chemo and a year of recovery. Meeting cancer warriors, watching them quietly battle to save their lives and the worlds of their families, has influenced the themes of my books and ideas of what love looks like. In my upcoming YA sequel, the heroine must learn to handle her fear of dying, something I struggle with myself (not that I plan to die anytime soon : ).  

TRC:  When you are not writing, what other interests or hobbies do you have?

Heather:  Well I’m a full-time mom of three, so my kids keep my interest with boyfriends, learner’s driving permit, hockey practice, soccer practice, horseback riding, gymnastics, parties, school projects, etc. I’m also a dog mom to a crazy rescued golden retriever who requires daily runs to keep her from exploding with energy.  Since I’ve been sick and recovered, my amazing Highland husband and I have started the SHOUT Against the Whisper campaign to educate women about the sneaky, nearly-silent symptoms of ovarian cancer. I knit hats for chemo patients and the two of us run a booth at a popular women’s event in the area each year. We hand out symptom cards everywhere.  What are the symptoms? I’m so glad you asked because knowing them may save your life or the life of a woman you love. I list them in the backs of my books too in hopes that the information will reach more and more women.  

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms every day for more than three weeks, please go see your doctor. My tumor grew to grapefruit size in 5 short months and was spreading.
Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer:
Bloating that is persistent
Eating less and feeling fuller
Abdominal pain
Trouble with your bladder
Ovarian Cancer cannot be detected by a PAP Smear. Additional symptoms may include fatigue, indigestion, back pain, pain with intercourse, constipation, and/or menstrual irregularities.

Other hobbies? I also like watching birds, mild gardening, and baking things I shouldn’t eat on my diet. Let’s see, I also like decoupage, knitting, and all things related to drinking a proper tea.  

TRC:  Would you like to add anything else? 

Heather:  Thank you so much for having me here today! Your questions were so much fun! For more information about me, my books and ovarian cancer, please check out my web site at www.HeatherMcCollum.com. I can also be found here:
Twitter https://twitter.com/HMcCollumAuthor
FB https://www.facebook.com/HeatherMcCollumAuthor
Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/hmccollumauthor/
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4185696.Heather_McCollum

LIGHTNING ROUND

Heather:  Yay! This is like being a contestant on Family Feud except all my answers are right : ) 

Favorite Food: Haddock burger with cheese and tartar from the pier on Beals Island, Maine. After that, nearly any breakfast food that exists.  

Favorite Dessert: Pie, blueberry, pumpkin, shoo fly, chocolate chess, coconut custard, and so on. 

Favorite Movie: Pitch Perfect 

Favorite TV Show: Big Bang Theory 

Favorite Movie or TV Celebrity: Ellen DeGeneres  

Dark or Milk Chocolate: Dark, especially with cranberries and nuts in it 

Favorite literary character (not your own): Charley Davidson in Darynda Jones’ Grim Reaper series. She’s hilarious! 

Dog or Cat: Dog, I’ve grown up with them and love them despite their shedding. And unfortunately I’m allergic to cats.   

TRC: Thank you Heather, for answering our questions. The Reading Café wishes you the best of luck with Crimson Heart.  

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Better Homes and Hauntings by Molly Harper-Review, Interview and Giveaway with the Author

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Better Homes and Hauntings by Molly Harper-Review, Interview and Giveaway  with the Author

 

Better Homes and Hauntings Banner

Better Homes and Hauntings

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO / The Book Depository

RELEASE DATE: June 24, 2014

When Nina Linden is hired to landscape a private island off the New England coast, she sees it as her chance to rebuild her failing business after being cheated by her unscrupulous ex. She never expects that her new client, software mogul Deacon Whitney, would see more in her than just a talented gardener. Deacon has paid top dollar to the crews he’s hired to renovate the desolate Whitney estate—he had to, because the bumps, thumps, and unexplained sightings of ghostly figures in nineteenth-century dress are driving workers away faster than he can say “Boo.”

But Nina shows no signs of being scared away, even as she experiences some unnerving apparitions herself. And as the two of them work closely together to restore the mansion’s faded glory, Deacon realizes that he’s found someone who doesn’t seem to like his fortune more than himself—while Nina may have finally found the one man she can trust with her bruised and battered heart.

But something on the island doesn’t believe in true love…and if Nina and Deacon can’t figure out how to put these angry spirits to rest, their own love doesn’t stand a ghost of a chance.

••••••••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: BETTER HOMES AND HAUNTINGS is a stand alone, paranormal romance storyline from the amazing mind of Molly Harper. A ghost story with humor, sarcasm, friendship, love and a HEA, our intrepid crew have been hired to update and renovate the nineteenth century Whitney family owned mansion-known as Crane’s Nest- on a private island near the New England Coast.

Better Homes and Hauntings follows landscaper Nina Linden, billionaire Deacon Whitney, organizer Cindy Ellis, architect Jake Rumson and Deacon’s cousin Dotty Whitney as they forage through old diaries looking for clues to the death of Catherine Whitney-the original wife of Gerald Whitney –presumably murdered by the man that she loved. The stories surrounding the ghostly spirits that haunt the old mansion come to life as each of our characters will fall victim to memories of the past.

The storyline focuses on the building relationship between Deacon and Nina-a relationship that is plagued by nightmares, ghostly apparitions and someone else’s memories. We follow organizer and cleaner Cindy as she toys with the affections of Deacon’s best friend and architect Jake-a man who doesn’t recall the first time he met the vivacious Cindy Ellis; and the eccentric Dotty Whitney-a woman who is determined to write a biography of Gerald and Catherine Whitney-the original inhabitants and owners of Crane’s Nest whose reputation and deaths have followed the Whitney family legacy to the present day.

Molly Harper pulls the reader into a storyline of ghostly hauntings, angry spirits, mystery, possession and missing family heirlooms. As the ensemble cast of friends begins to uncover the secrets of the past, the spirits will step up their game until one of them finally breaks-possession is a nasty way to seek revenge and the truth.

BETTER HOMES AND HAUNTINGS is an entertaining storyline of mystery, suspense and romance where the ghosts of the past refuse to move on. It is a story of one family’s tainted past; a past that has haunted the descendants throughout the years and a past that is seeking revenge for a murder that was never solved.

Molly Harper’s remarkable storylines blend humor, love, friendship and family in a lively, spirited and clever presentation that everyone will enjoy.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

 

Interview

CATCHING UP with Molly Harper at The Reading Café

Follow Molly at : Goodreads/Website/Facebook/Twitter

TRC: Hi Molly and welcome back to The Reading Café. Congratulations on all of your success since last we talked.

Molly HarperMH: Thank you for having me!

TRC: Who or what influenced your career in writing?

MH: I had a number of really fantastic English teachers when I was in high school. I was a weird, smart aleck kid with no apparent talent. I was a decent student, but I couldn’t sing, couldn’t draw, and despite being a six-foot-tall freshman, couldn’t play a sport to save my life. So the usual avenues that kids have to get praise and attention in school were unavailable to me. (In the case of sports, really, REALLY unavailable.)

But my freshman English teacher, Mr. Werner asked us to write an introductory essay so he knew something about us as the year started. I called mine, “Fence Posts and Tree Stumps” and wrote about the dinner table debates I had with my Dad about politics, news, science, etc. Mom told us that Harpers should argue with fence posts and tree stumps, because only inanimate objects could survive the circuitous, endless discussion. Mr. Werner loved it and had me read it aloud to the class. That was something I had never done before, sharing my writing with non-relatives. Like many girls my age, I had my Secret Notebook of Horrible Unicorn Poetry, but it was hidden beneath many Christopher Pike paperbacks under my bed.

Mr. Werner told me I was funny, and had a unique voice, like Erma Bombeck. And once I looked Erma Bombeck up in the library and realized he’d paid me a compliment, I started thinking about writing as a possible career. I’d always written stories, but it never occurred to me that I could make a living with it. There weren’t many published authors in Paducah, Ky.

But, knowing the odds of becoming of a full-time novelist weren’t awesome, I read more of Bombeck’s essays and looked into degree programs that would help pursue a career as a newspaper reporter. I wanted to write columns like Bombeck and Dave Barry and Lewis Grizzard, people who didn’t necessarily teach their readers life lessons, but made them laugh and brightened their day.

Throughout high school, that little spark of writer’s hope was encouraged by Mr. Werner, Mr. Toy, Mrs. Rafferty and Mrs. Campbell – wonderful English teachers who put up with a considerable amount of snark to help me find my writing voice and polish some pretty rough grammatical skills. I still live in the small town where I grew up. Every once in a while I see them, and I’m sure to thank them and tell them what a profound influence they’ve had on my life.

TRC: When not writing, what do you do to relax?

MH: I started studying martial arts about a year ago. I started with Brazillian jiu jitsu and recently earned my yellow belt in karate. (So I now have the fighting skills of your average seven year old.) It’s a cool bonding activity for my family as my husband has studied karate for most of his life. He’s black belt and teaches at the school where I am a student, along with our daughter, Darcy, 9.

Darcy is about four belt rankings above me and LOVES that she is better at something than her mom. When we spar in class, she shows me no mercy. It’s a humbling experience to be punched in the face by your pre-teen under sanctioned circumstances.

I am bruised. So very bruised. But we have a lot of fun and it’s a chance to spend time together. How many families can say, “We spent a couple of hours learning nunchuk techniques on Tuesday.”

And I like the idea that if confronted, I have at least a twenty percent chance of survival. Before starting classes, there was an excellent chance I would trip over my own feet and knock myself unconscious while running away.

TRC: Are any of your characters similar in nature or personality to you or anyone you know?

MH: I was pretty shameless about injecting my own personality into Jane Jameson. We have the same fondness for Jane Austen, the same social clumsiness, the same tendency to spout random trivia when nervous. But unlike me, Jane tends to make rash and emotional decisions when in crisis. I’m more of a hyper-rational over-thinker when panicking.

I don’t know anyone like the vampire Dick Cheney. Which makes me sad.

Better Homes and HauntingsTRC: June 24, 2014 marks the release date of your latest novel BETTER HOMES AND HAUNTINGS. Would you please tell us something about the premise?

MH: This is my first standalone paranormal romance and my first haunted house story, so I am doubly excited. I ventured past my Southern comfort zone and set the story on a remote island off the coast of New England. The Crane’s Nest is a Gilded Era mansion that never quite thrived as a family home as Gerald Whitney, the business tycoon who built it was accused of murdering his wife shortly after it was completed. The murder mystery and inevitable stories of hauntings and family curses followed the Whitneys throughout the generations. Deacon Whitney, a social media mogul who has managed to rebuild his fortune, wants to restore the house to its former glory and finally put the supernatural rumors about his family to an end. The team of experts he assembles to remodel the house is contracted to live there over the summer while the work is completed, a measure he had to take after mysterious noises and cold spots chased away previous teams.

Landscaper Nina Linden is hired to rehabilitate the gardens and she sees it as her chance to rebuild her failing business after being cheated by her unscrupulous ex-partner. She never expects that her new client would see more in her than just a green thumb. But Nina shows no signs of being scared away, even as she experiences some unnerving apparitions herself. And as the two of them work closely together to restore the mansion’s faded glory, Deacon realizes that he’s found someone who doesn’t seem to like his fortune more than himself—while Nina may have finally found the one man she can trust with her bruised and battered heart.

But something on the island doesn’t believe in true love…and if Nina and Deacon can’t figure out how to put these angry spirits to rest, their own love doesn’t stand a ghost of a chance.

TRC: HOW TO RUN WITH A NAKED WEREWOLF was your December 2013 release in the Naked Werewolf series. How many books do you have planned for the series?

Naked Werewolf Series

MH: As of right now, there will be three books in the series. HOW TO RUN is the third. But you never know what could happen.

TRC: Have you considered a spin off for the Naked Wolf series similar to Nice Girls and the Jane Jameson series?

MH: Sure, if the idea ever came up, I could see that happening.

TRC: What are your thoughts on writing a series and ending an installment with a major cliff hanger?

MH: Sometimes, it’s necessary, particularly if you’re writing a thriller series. I’ve never done it because I’m not really a “cliff hanger” writer. But as long as the author has plans to continue the series and no major health problems, I don’t see how it’s a bad thing.

TRC: When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

MH: It’s a mix of both. I start with a basic outline of what I want in the plot and then write the first and last chapters. Anything that happens in the middle is directed by character and my sick, twisted sense of humor.

TRC: The mark of a good writer is to pull the reader into the storyline so that they experience the emotions along with the characters. What do you believe a writer must do to make this happen? Where do you believe writer’s fail in this endeavor?

MH: I think the reader needs to see a little kernel of themselves in the character, something sympathetic so they can root for the character or at least feel compelled to find out what happens to him or her. That doesn’t necessarily have to mean the character is likeable. You can hate a character and still want to know how they end up. (The J.R. Ewing Principle.)

I think some writers make the mistake of trying to explain the character’s emotions in detail instead of just letting them happen. It’s a classic “show, don’t tell” issue that I struggle with sometimes, too.

TRC: What three things would you like to accomplish in the next five years?

MH:

I would like to finish the young adult manuscript I have been torturing for the last six months.

I would like to break onto a bestsellers list.

I would like to speak in public without getting really nervous.

TRC: What is something that few, if any people, know about you?

MH: I am addicted to sushi, as in, having it for lunch at least twice a week. I started a pretty serious diet a few years ago and it meant a complete nutritional overhaul. I had to replace the stuff I was eating with food that wouldn’t kill me someday. And sushi became my indulgence. I could eat green dragon rolls every day.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

MH: I will be writing several more spin offs to the Half Moon Hollow series. I could tell you what they’re about, but then I would have to send Ophelia after you.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

MH: If you enjoy audiobooks, BETTER HOMES AND HAUNTINGS will be released by Audible on the same day that it is released in print and ebook.

Also, my Half-Moon Hollow Christmas short story, I’M DREAMING OF AN UNDEAD CHRISTMAS, will be available in ebook on November 3, 2014.

And third book in the Bluegrass contemporary series, SNOW FALLING ON BLUEGRASS, will be released on September 22.

TRC: Thank you Molly for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on the release of BETTER HOMES AND HAUNTINGS. We wish you all the best.

giveaway

Molly and her publisher are offering a signed paper copy of BETTER HOMES AND HAUNTINGS and a $10 Starbucks Gift Card to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe

Better Homes and Starbucks

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

4. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

5. Like Molly Harper on Facebook

6. Giveaway is open to USA only

7. Giveaway runs from June 23 to June 27, 2014

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Deceived by Stella Barcelona-Review, Interview & Giveaway

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Deceived by Stella Barcelona-Review, Interview and Giveaway

Deceived
by Stella Barcelona
Release Date: May 1, 2014
Genre: adult, suspense,

Deceived

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository

 

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 1, 2014

Their destinies have been set in motion by their ancestors.

Taylor Marlowe Bartholomew carries three of the most notable names in New Orleans society. She hoped to forge her own path in the world as an Assistant District Attorney, but that dream is dying as obligations pull her into the family shipbuilding business. In Taylor’s final days in the DA’s office, she receives a murder assignment that could unravel her perception of reality.

Ghosts of the past shadow every step they take.

Brandon Morrissey is haunted by demons that force him to keep his life simple and detached. He pours all of his energy into his thriving legal practice, until, overnight, he becomes the single father of an infant. For the sake of his son’s future, Brandon searches for a killer and faces the truth about his family’s unfortunate past.

Together they have to find the truth…before it’s too late.

Someone is willing to kill to use the past for their own ends. Thrust together, Brandon and Taylor have different views of their families’ intersecting histories. As they confront a sea of uncertainty, one thing is sure…no one is safe until they discover where the truth lies.

••••••••••••••••••••••

When Taylor and Brandon are thrown together completely by chance, little do they know how much their lives will change. And, how quickly it will do so. Brandon only very recently discovered that he had an infant son, and when the baby’s mother is murdered, the case is handed over to Taylor by the DA’s office. Taylor heads over to Brandon’s house to aid the NOPD with their questioning of Brandon. Once she arrives, they immediately start sizing each other up. After all, their families have a rich and scandalous history. Once, the two families we in business together, building ships, but once Brandon’s grandfather was charged with treason by the United States government for selling secrets to the Nazis, the Morrisey name was no longer welcome in New Orleans society circles. They both put that aside as they embark on a dangerous mission to figure out the truth behind the young woman’s murder.

If only things went as they were supposed to…….. Taylor’s father had given her one year at the DA’s office and then she has to decide whether she will stay there or join their illustrious family’s ship building business. Taylor’s father calls her then the jig is up and it’s time to join with him, as she is his only heir. Reluctantly, she gives up her dream job to help her father. But, she has problems giving up the murder investigation. She decides to do some investigating on her own, with the help of a reluctant Brandon, and they soon discover that things are not as they seem. They also soon realize that trust between them is going to play a big part in what’s going on. When others end up dead, that on the surface don’t seem connected in any way, they start putting the pieces to the puzzle together and discover that the past has truly come back to haunt them. Can they truly trust each other? Or, will they each be so caught up in their own family’s version of the truth that they can’t see the forest for the trees? Let’s just say that revisionist history, like karma, can be a bitch………………….

Barcelona has written a story that grabs you from the beginning and sucks you right in. The way the she weaves actual historical events into the storyline flows beautifully and in no way feels forced. I love it when I finish a book and feel that I actually learned something! Both Taylor and Ben are great characters, as are the supporting characters in story. And, when they finally figure out who is wreaking havoc on their families…… Let’s just say I was like WOW!!!! I totally thought it was going to go one way and I was totally wrong! LOL!! There is a lot of mystery, a lot of intrigue and a lot of great romance and storytelling. I look forward to reading more by Stella Barcelona.

Copy supplied by the publicist

Review by Vickie M

 

 

Interview

TRC: Hi Stella and welcome to The Reading Cafe.

Stella: Hello! It is great to be here, and thank you for inviting me.

TRC: Congratulations on the release of DECEIVED.

Stella: Thank you. I love that something that only lived in my imagination has now made it into the hands of readers.

TRC: We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Follow: Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

stella barcelona Stella: I’m an author of romantic suspense novels. I’ve written creatively for years … Deceived is my first novel that is published, but it is not the first one that I’ve written. Most of my life I’ve lived in and around New Orleans, Louisiana, but I can be at home just about anywhere, as long as my husband and my dogs are with me and I have a bit of quiet space. Long walks are a favorite pastime.

TRC: Who or what influenced your career in writing?

Stella: First, I’ve always been an incurable romantic and an avid daydreamer with an excessive imagination for good and bad. Second, I developed a love of reading at a very young age. When I first started daydreaming about what I wanted to be when I grew up, I had a romance novel in my hands, and I didn’t want to be the heroine. I wanted to be the person who imagined the story, because, in my daydreams, the author who was pictured on the back of those books was able to live many happily-ever-after imaginary lives. Life intervened and, because I didn’t know how to make a living as an author, I became a history teacher first and then a lawyer. Both professions have influenced my creativity and my writing.

TRC: When not writing, what do you do to relax?

Stella: I have two adorable papillons, and any time I pet one or both of them, it is as relaxing for me as a deep breath and a pedicure, combined. Also, my husband and I are boaters. I love boating days and long walks once the boat is docked.

DeceivedTRC: DECEIVED is your May 1, 2014 release. Would you please tell us something about the premise?

Order: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository

Stella: Deceived is a romantic suspense with a historical twist: a mystery that was inspired by real-life contributions of New Orleanians to the Allied Forces in World War II. The decades-old mystery comes to light in the present day and creates havoc in the lives of Taylor Bartholomew and Brandon Morrissey, whose identities are intrinsically related to the official historical version of the facts.

Like the city of New Orleans itself, Deceived is full of contradictions, which begin with the heroine and hero. Taylor is idealistic, naive, and was born into a family that lives at the pinnacle of New Orleans society. Brandon is haunted by demons and by a family with an unfortunate past. He is cynical and doesn’t care one bit about New Orleans society. Taylor and Brandon are two lawyers with different versions of a story that is close to their hearts. Together they have to find the truth . . . or face dire consequences.

TRC: How many books do you have planned for the Black Raven Private Security Contractors?

Stella: Black Raven Private Security Contractors was introduced in Deceived, and is featured in my work in progress, Shadows. Black Raven will make repeat appearances in my novels, but I can’t give a specific number of books where it will be featured.

TRC: Are any of the characters or the premise based in reality or a combination of reality and fiction?

Stella: The premise of Deceived is based on a combination of reality and fiction. Readers who are familiar with history may recognize the inspiration for the Hutchenson Landing Craft, as the fictional boat actually exists in real life and was a highly valued military asset of the Allied forces in World War II. I’ve changed the name of the boat for the story.

TRC: If you could virtually cast the leading characters in the story, which actors or models would best represent your ideal image?

Stella: I’m not sure. I didn’t write the story with any particular actor or model in mind. I’m curious to see if readers could give me ideas for an answer to this question, because when I think of Brandon or Taylor, I see them.

TRC: How much influence has the French Quarter and Cajun Country of New Orleans had in your writing?

Stella: While New Orleans, the city I have always called home, profoundly influences my writing and Deceived, neither the French Quarter nor Cajun Country are large parts of Deceived. The events in the story just didn’t take the characters to those places.

TRC: You are a lawyer by education. What was the factor in switching up your career choice to writing?

Stella: I actually haven’t made a switch. Currently I’m both a lawyer and a fiction author. I always wanted to be a fiction writer, but detoured into becoming a lawyer because I needed to earn a living. Now that Deceived is published, I’m still a lawyer and have no plans to stop. I work for a court in New Orleans, and I enjoy my job, because I read and write, all day, every day. Legal writing is different than fiction writing, but I find that steady progress with the two types of writing facilitates forward progress in both. For me, writing is a skill that requires constant, dedicated attention and practice, and having both types of writing in my life – – legal and fiction writing – -works.

TRC: What challenges or difficulties (research, logistics, background) did you encounter writing this particular story?

Stella: The mystery in Deceived is built upon boat design, World War II history, and legal issues. I tried to include just enough of each of these concepts to create an interesting story, but not too much, as the story isn’t about any one of these things. The story is about Brandon and Taylor, how they unravel the mystery, and how the same mystery that tears them apart forces them together. The story could have encompassed much more detail than what actually made it to the page, and I had to work hard not to let any particular thread of research overtake the story.

TRC: What are your thoughts on writing a series and ending an installment with a major cliffhanger?

Stella: I actually like the idea of a major cliffhanger, but at this time I’m more in tune with writing stand-alone novels, where most story elements are resolved by the end of the book. However, even though I consider my novels to be stand alone novels, there may be unresolved questions with each book that are resolved in the next one. As I answer this question, I’m thinking of unresolved questions in Deceived, involving Sebastian Connelly, Brandon’s best friend. Sebastian is the hero in Shadows and any questions that are left open involving Sebastian in Deceived are resolved in Shadows.

TRC: When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

Stella: If I have to choose one of the above, I would say that I direct the characters.

TRC: The mark of a good writer is to pull the reader into the storyline so that they experience the emotions along with the characters. What do you believe a writer must do to make this happen? Where do you believe writer’s fail in this endeavor?

Stella: I’m not sure where other writers fail, and don’t want to speculate.

I can tell you how I try to accomplish this goal — I don’t rush the writing process. I usually only write in the morning, and when I stand up from my writing chair, I get on with my day. However, throughout the day, I carry my writing in my subconscious mind. I try to write every morning so that I don’t lose the threads that are woven into each scene, and that includes emotional threads. Each morning, I start by returning to the material that I wrote the day before and do a quick review. Part of the review includes making sure that each character acted in a manner that was consistent with their personality under the circumstances. I also look to see whether emotional reactions made it to the page.

In addition to the hurdles that arise in the story, I try to give the characters real-life problems that readers can understand. For example, in Shadows, my work in progress, Sebastian was an overly empathetic child who tried, and failed, to protect his mother from an abusive father. He learned to turn off empathy, and, as a result, he’s unable to have emotional attachment to others. One of his problems is that he’s craving emotional attachment – though at first he doesn’t even recognize the craving.

TRC: Writer’s Block is a very real phenomenon. How do you handle the pressures and anxiety of writer’s block?

Stella: I don’t give myself time to dwell on writer’s block. Because the process of creative writing gives me such great pleasure, I dedicate time to writing every day, and that time is early in the morning, so nothing gets in the way of it. I tend to measure progress on a weekly basis, rather than daily, so I don’t focus too much on whether any one writing session is productive in terms of word count or new pages. Plus, I have faith in my process. After the formal creative writing time is over each morning, I try to facilitate subconscious thought. In quiet moments throughout the day, I allow my thoughts to return to my story, and any time I think of something new, I jot down notes.

My process also includes a special chair. My home office has two desks and two chairs, with one chair dedicated solely to creative writing. I loved the result of my office reorganization so much that I wrote a post on my website:
http://stellabarcelona.com/2014/03/03/time-management-musings/.

Upon awakening, I get into the writing chair as fast as I can, pull on headphones, turn up music, and the time that I spend there becomes magical. Even if I can only manage one hour in the writing chair, I still get in the chair. I’ve had forward progress with just a half hour. Once I sit in my writing chair, I instantly go into writing mode, with no distractions. I’m able to focus on the positive feelings the creative process brings to me and I don’t worry about things like writer’s block.

TRC: Many authors bounce ideas and information with other authors or friends and family. With whom do you bounce ideas?

Stella: Over the years, I’ve made some great friends through attending writers’ conferences and workshops. My wonderful cousin and fellow author, Tina DeSalvo, does fabulous critiques. She and I have travelled together on the long journey toward publication and we have shared ideas every step of the way. Cherry Adair, who also writes romantic suspense, has been a fabulous mentor – – I’ve been a career woman all of my life, and never have I had someone offer such tremendous help in the name of mentoring a novice. I also belong to a plotting group that meets at least once a year, where we formulate plots, talk craft and business, and offer moral support. The core group includes myself, Tina DeSalvo, Cherry Adair, Eileen Dreyer, and Deborah LeBlanc. From time to time, other authors attend. Finally, and most importantly, my husband, Bob, provides constant reality checks.

TRC: What three things would you like to accomplish in the next five years?

Stella: Only three things? Really? I can’t answer this question. I’m sorry. There’s too many different components in my life and identifying three goals for any one aspect of my life results in excluding other goals. If I focus solely on writing, in five years, I want to have written several high quality books that many, many readers find, buy, and enjoy.

TRC: What is something that few, if any people, know about you?

Stella: I tend to be shy in large groups, but now that Deceived has been published, I’m quickly overcoming this tendency, because I like talking about the creative writing process.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Stella: I’m currently writing Shadows, A Black Raven Novel. Shadows is a romantic suspense. Black Raven Private Security Contractors was introduced in Deceived. Also, Sebastian Connelly, the hero in Shadows, was introduced in Deceived as the best friend of the hero, Brandon Morrissey.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Stella: Yes. One unexpected pleasure of having Deceived published is that I’m hearing from readers on Facebook and on my website: www.stellabarcelona.com. I’m enjoying the contact with readers, so please let me know what you think of Deceived. Also, if you’ve read Deceived, and enjoyed it, please tell your friends about it and post a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or other review outlets.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food: Cheese. I’ve actually had to give it up because I’m such an addict, but I have a pizza exception.

Favorite Dessert: Jelly Beans.

Favorite TV Show: The Black List.

Last Movie You Saw: Monuments Men.

Favorite Musical Group: There’s many. Better Than Ezra, Imagine Dragons, Matt Nathanson. Sorry. I can’t just name one.

Dark or Milk Chocolate: Both!

Secret Celebrity Crush: Hugh Jackman.

Last Vacation Destination: Destin, Florida.

Pet Peeve: I don’t really have one at the moment.

TRC: Thank you Stella for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on the release of DECEIVED. We wish you all the best.

giveaway

Stella is offering a copy of her latest release DECEIVED (paper copy USA only/ ebook International) and a $20 Amazon Gift Card to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

Deceived giveaway

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

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5. Like Stella Barcelona on Facebook

6. Giveaway: ebook INTERNATIONAL/ paper copy USA only.

7. Giveaway runs from June 21-June 25, 2014

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Interview with Cover Model and Actor Joseph Cannata

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Interview with Cover Model and Actor Joseph Cannata

With the release of Laura Wright’s new novel BRANDED, we have the pleasure of interviewing the amazing Joseph Cannata-cover model and actor. Let’s welcome Joseph to The Reading Cafe.

 

TRC: Hi Joseph and welcome to The Reading Café. Congratulations on getting the cover of Laura Wright’s BRANDED.

We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Follow Joseph at : Website/ Twitter/

Joseph: Thank you Sandy, well you’ve got my name down already, so we’re off to a good start. I am an Actor/Model born and raised in the beautiful City of Toronto, Ontario. Both my mother and father still tease me to this day that my career is in front of a camera, growing up, I was painfully shy.

TRC: What were your goals and aspirations growing up?

Joseph: When I was a lot younger, I had a fascination with airplanes, I wanted to be a pilot for a very long time. Later on I was working toward becoming a firefighter while also being introduced to acting through my drama class. I figured I’d work hard at acting so that one day I would be a firefighter in a movie or show (less risk I suppose ☺ )

TRC: As a Canadian actor/model do you see many differences or similarities in the industry between the countries?

Joseph: It seems to be getting better in Canada, the industry and a whole. But I personally think there are still many differences, there just doesn’t seem to be enough work in Canada, even though there is work going on all the time, the opportunity for those big break jobs just don’t come around as often as they do in the USA or around the world.

TRC: Will you please tell us about how you got started in the modeling/cover modeling business?

Joseph: I was actually taking a personal break from the business, when my current had sent me an email asking if I was interested in having representation for print work. It was perfect timing for me as I was getting ready to start work again and was going to be on the hunt for new representation. Modeling for me wasn’t something I had interest in per say, I am fortunate enough to have a look that clients find desirable and was more than happy to get involved in it and see where it goes.

 

 

TRC: Your most recent cover is BRANDED by Laura Wright. Do you know the number of novel covers that your image has appeared?

Joseph: Unfortunately I’ve actually lost count of the number of books I’ve done. I know my mother is an avid collector of the novels and the book shelf seems to be growing each time I visit my family.

 

 

TRC: What was your first ‘published’ cover and by whom?

 

Joseph: I will never forget my first time, shooting a book cover ☺ It was called “Forever Buckhorn” by Lori Foster

TRC: At times, there has been a ‘stigma’ surrounding the male model and the romance-cover industry. What is your opinion about the recent popularity of the romance/paranormal storyline and the very busy industry of the romance cover model? In other words, do you believe the cover images help sell the books?

Joseph: I think it’s great, most people see the industry dominated by women, which is true. However, there are pleanty of male modeling jobs out there, great ones. Working on cover books is part of that, they’re always a fun, relaxed shoot, the art diretors always set the mood for the shoot before we start which certainly helps me get into whatever character I need to portray. I do think the cover images are very important. Most people are very visual, and they enjoy being able to imagine the cover guy/girl being a real person. People go nuts when they find out a book they love so much is going to film, they want to know who the actors will be. We always have this image in our head of what they’ll look like, It’s a fun process.

TRC: Have you ever had a photo shoot that went completely wrong?

Joseph: Hmm, I think I’ve only experienced one cover shoot with an issue. I was working with two little twin girls. Working with children is always very challenging, their parents are on set and close by and I find that is a huge distraction, not only for me, but for the children themselves. One of the girls was very comfortable with me, the other wouldn’t stop crying and wanting her mother. I felt that it was my fault that, wow! I must be bad at my job to make this little girl cry, ha ha! It all worked out in the end, with a little photoshop magic, both girls appeared on the cover.

TRC: Nudity in modeling or acting can be controversial. Some pictures can cross the line between sexuality and pornography. What would you tell young models just entering the business about nude modeling?

 

 

Joseph: My personal opinion on it, male or female. You have to ask yourself, what type of work it is you’re in the business for. There is nothing wrong with sexuality or pornography in print, however they are completely different areas of modeling. It all comes down the project, what it’s being used for, who’s the photographer and where it will be published.

TRC: Who do you most admire and why?

Joseph: It may sound cliché, but I’ve got to say my mother. Not only has she brought me into this world, but also she has raised me exactly the way I would want to be raised, with nothing but love and affection. She is my biggest fan, always supporting me when things are going well and when I’m having moments of “can I really do this job forever”. She will always push me and keep my confidence at a healthy level, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without her support. I’ve seen her go through a lot the past year and her strength and patience deserves an award.

 

TRC: What is your most embarrassing moment?

Joseph: Oh boy, I think every audition I go to is my most embarrassing moment. They’re always so silly and will never be able to accept them for what they are! However a very embarrassing story before I was acting/modeling happened at a clothing store I used to work at. A customer was taking fancy to me, of course I didn’t really put it all together until all the girls and manager at the store were laughing at me. The customer had asked me to try on a few articles of clothing because I was roughly the size of the person she was shopping for. That was the easy part, until she asked me if I could try on some underwear for her. Me being me, I went to my manager and asked if I could try on the underwear for this customer, you know, you’ve gotta keep the customers happy. She laughed at me and said Joseph, I think she likes you! I felt my face start heating up and I finally figured it out that she wanted to see me in some briefs!

TRC: When you are not modeling what can we find you doing-in other words-what is your ‘day job’? 😉

 

Joseph: I am very fortunate enough to treat Acting/Modeling as my ‘day job’ it’s something I continue to work very hard at and persue, I’m in it for the long haul. You can see me out and about shopping, and keeping healthy at the gym too ☺

TRC: What three (3) things would you like to accomplish in the next ten (10) years?

Joseph:

1 – I would like to be lucky enough to book roles without having to go to auditions. Hopefully in the next 10 years of hard work I’ll have graduated to that level, or at least be offered roles.

2 – Even though I am a full time Actor/Model, I still feel there’s plenty I need to accomplish and learn in this business. More international work, having done some recently I am hungry to attack many more international markets

3 – Like everyone else in this world, I just want to enjoy what I do for the rest of my life, while having a great balance between work and leisure. It’s important to find a job you are passionate about and not worry about money so much. A great philosopher Alan Watts asked the question ‘what would you like to do if money were no object?’ How would you really enjoy spending your life? I think that’s a great question that many people don’t stop to really think about.

TRC: What is something that few people (if any) know about you?

 

Joseph: When I mention to people who don’t know me that I used to be and still can be very shy when I’m not working. They find it hard to believe, considering my job. I always tell them, work is different, I’m hired for the skills that I bring to set. I don’t bring those skills to a shopping mall when I’m alone shopping in a crowded mall, that just gives me anxiety!

TRC: Would you please tell us what you do to relax?

Joseph: I really enjoy reading, listening to music, watching movies is very relaxing for me. I find the gym as well, a place of relaxation; it’s my own personal therapist. I throw everything at it and all it gives back to me is this utopic feeling. It’s a good relationship

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Joseph: I’m not currently working on anything specific, everyday is a new day. I’ve recently returned from working in South Africa where I had the pleasure to book a few great jobs. I really fell in love with the country and may perhaps be returning once again in the fall.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Joseph: Oh I’m sure I’ve bored all of you by now, just want to say thank you for taking the time to get to know me a little better and I hope everything has enjoyed reading this interview as much as I’ve enjoyed discussing it. If anyone is interested in keeping up with my daily, weekly, monthly, yearly shenanigans you can find me on Instagram @Josephcannats twitter @JosephCannata, and soon I will have a public profile page on Facebook. Be well everyone ☺

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food: Italian

Favorite Dessert: Cheesecake

Favorite TV Show: Game of Thrones

Last Movie You Saw: Spider-man 2

Dark or Milk Chocolate: Dark

Favorite Song (at the moment): City and Color – The Lonely Life

Secret Celebrity Crush: Amber Herd

Last Vacation Destination: Mexico

Pet Peeve: People who walk slow

TRC: Thank you Joseph for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on all of your success and we look forward to many more covers and one day seeing you on the big screen.

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Secrets and Sins: Raphael by Naima Simone-Review and Interview with the Author

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SECRETS AND SINS: RAPHAEL by Naima Simone-Review and Interview with the Author.

Secrets and Sins Raphael

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 28, 2014

When Greer Addison finds her future husband in bed with another woman, she runs…right into the arms of dark and dangerous Raphael Marcel. Angry and hurt, she throws caution to the wind and spends a hot night with the sexy security specialist. But when her fiancé is found dead, Greer becomes the main suspect of a crime she can’t remember.

Raphael is stunned and suspicious when Greer shows up on his doorstep claiming she’s carrying his baby. Worse, she’s the target of a stalker bent on making her pay for a murder she doesn’t recall. As Raphael begins to trust Greer, they must race against the clock to uncover a killer…..because Greer’s memory is returning.

•••••••••••••••

REVIEW: SECRETS AND SINS: RAPHAEL is the third instalment in Naima Simone’s contemporary, adult, erotic Secrets and Sins romance series but can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. This is Raphael Marcel and Greer Addison’s story. Raphael is the tatted and pierced bad boy and co-owner of Liberty Security Services and Greer has been targeted by an unknown source.

The focus of the storyline is Greer’s protection and the building relationship between Greer and Raphael. Following a one night stand with the sexy Raphael, Greer walked into a gruesome murder scene-her ex fiancé was dead and she was the prime suspect. Four months later, Greer broke down and hired Raphael as her personal security guard but many things had changed for Greer in the ensuing months and Raphael soon learns that Greer is pregnant and he is the father.

Naima Simone pulls the reader into a storyline of murder, mystery, suspense and romance. The world building continues throughout the series with the inclusion of Raphael’s three brothers in arms (or a family of love) including Malachim, Gabriel and Chay. The four best friends are connected by a past mired in abuse and revenge but throughout their lives they have always had one another’s backs and hearts.

The relationship between Raphael and Greer is a not quite friends to lovers storyline that is overshadowed by numerous death threats and abduction attempts on both Raphael and Greer. Someone wants Greer dead and the list of possibilities continues to grow-from her ex fiancé’s family to someone close, Raphael can’t deny that someone Greer knows has targeted her for destruction. Greer comes from wealth but her dysfunctional family dynamics finds Greer alone and struggling without emotional or financial support.

SECRETS AND SINS: RAPHAEL is a fast paced, intriguing and compelling storyline. The intimacy between our leading couple is sexual, sensual and passionate. As Raphael works to uncover the who and why behind the threats against Greer, Greer will discover that the only people she can depend upon are those that have been there for her from the very start and the man with whom she has fallen in love.

Secrets and Sins series.

Reading Order
1. Gabriel
2. Malachim
3. Raphael

Copy supplied by the publisher

Reviewed by Sandy

Interview yellow:black

TRC: Hi Naima and welcome to The Reading Café.

Naima: Thank you so much for having me here today!

TRC: We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Follow: Website / Facebook /Twitter

Naima SimoneNaima: Sure thing! I’m a domestically-challenged wife and mother of long-suffering husband and two children. I’m an identical twin—the nicer half—and a preacher’s kid. A Yankee transplant to the south, Vin Diesel’s DL lover, a destroyer of Cherry Cokes and Symphony chocolate bars, and a devout Nalini Singh worshipper. And oh yes! A romance author! ☺

TRC: Who or what influenced your career in writing?

Naima: 16 Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Some Kind of Wonderful, St. Elmo’s Fire, Oxford Blues—every 80s movie that made me believe happily-ever-afters aren’t just for pretty, popular, skinny cheerleaders. Made me believe shy, nerdy, curvy, slightly awkward girls like me can have the hot, desired, cool guys they dream of. And how cool is it that I can give them the HEAs? On paper at least. LOL!

TRC: When not writing, what do you do to relax?

Naima: I love to veg out in front of the television, watching hours of ID Discovery and reading. With a ridiculously huge, you-oughtta-be-ashamed-of-yo’self bag of sour cream ‘n onion potato chips. And yes, I can do all three at the same time.

Secrets and Sins RaphaelTRC: RAPHAEL is the latest release in your SECRETS AND SINS adult contemporary series focusing on four friends who share a dark past. Would you please tell us something about the premise?

Naima: Absolutely! A socialite spends a hot night with a sexy security specialist after she finds her fiancé in bed with another woman, and now she’s pregnant, suspected of her ex’s death, possessing no memory of the crime, and stalked by a vengeful assailant who desires retribution…and her life. That was my elevator pitch. ☺

TRC: Are any of the characters or the premise based in reality or a combination of reality and fiction?

Naima: Actually, Raphael Marcel, the hero in my newest release SECRETS AND SINS: RAPHAEL, is based on a real person. When I was in the middle of writing the first book in the series, GABRIEL, my father told me about this young guy he knew at the gym where he worked out. The guy was tall, ripped, wore a black skully, had tattoos all over his arms and chest…just looked like a thug. One day, while my father was lifting weights, the FBI came in looking for him—the other guy, not my dad. ☺ Later on, when he arrived to work out, Daddy informed him the Feds had been there asking about him. My father said, the guy grinned and confessed he might be in trouble because of some illegal hacking. I thought that was AWESOME! I mean, come on. Looks like a thug but is freakin’ brilliant? What an interesting character. And sexy, too. I love a skully on a man. LOL! So I went back to my book and completely changed Raphael’s character to reflect this man from the gym.

TRC: If you could virtually cast your four leading men which actors or models would best represent your ideal image?

Secrets and Sins series.

Naima: Oooh. *rubbing hands together gleefully* I love casting my heroes! Let’s see… For Gabriel, Sebastian Stan. Y’know, the guy who played Bucky Barnes on Captain America? Sigh. For Malachim, Gabriel Aubry—before he got lumped up by Halle Berry’s current man. Henry Cavill for Raphael. And Travis Fimmel for Chay. Yes! An award winning cast here!

Secrets and Sins Cast

TRC: How many books do you have planned for the series?

Naima: There are four books in the series. One book for each friend. I confess, I’m going to miss them when I’m finished. *sniff sniff*

TRC: What challenges or difficulties (research, logistics, background) did you encounter writing this particular story and series?

Naima: The most time-consuming challenge—but by no means was it a hardship—was researching the city of Boston. The series takes place there, but there are so many neighborhoods that make up this beautiful city. And each one has its own characteristics, personality, and flavor. So I spent a lot of time making sure I was as accurate as possible. Several of the authors I’m friends with live there, so they helped tremendously with my questions. And thank goodness my editor used to live there, too! She corrected me a couple of times. ☺

TRC: How do you keep your plot unpredictable without sacrificing content or believability?

Naima: ID Discovery and Criminal Minds. LOL!! Seriously though, writing romantic suspense allows me to play with some seriously disturbed characters. Imagining their motives, actions, and personalities kept the plot unpredictable…because they are.

TRC: What are your thoughts on writing a series and ending an installment with a major cliff hanger?

Naima: I love writing series, because even if it’s just cameos, I get to continue the story of the previous characters. As well as give the secondary characters, who I’ve come to love just as much, their HEAs. I’m not a huge fan of ending an installment with a major cliff hanger…I think those cliff hangers from Dallas back in the day might’ve traumatized me. Do you know how long I had to wait to find out who shot J.R.??

TRC: When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

Naima: It’s definitely a collaboration. I love characterization, and by the time I start a book, I know them, their history, their issues, their flaws and strengths. So when the book starts to veer off the plotted plan, I trust it because more often than not, that detour will stay true to the character and end up in a great scene that I didn’t see coming. Afterward, I’ll have a celebratory cup of coffee, sit back, and go, daaay-aaam. That’s good. LOL!!

TRC: The mark of a good writer is to pull the reader into the storyline so that they experience the emotions along with the characters. What do you believe a writer must do to make this happen? Where do you believe writers fail in this endeavor?

Naima: We have to let go and become totally immersed in the character—their fears, joys, and sorrows. No, I may not have ever been abandoned by a parent, but I do know what it feels like to not be accepted, to need affirmation, to have self-esteem issues and doubts. I can tap into that pain, longing, and anger, draw on it, and pour it into the book. It’s about letting go and not being afraid to re-experience emotions that lifted us to the very heights of happiness and then turned around and ripped us to shreds. Our first crush or love. Our first heart break. The first rejection. The loss of a loved one. Even the elation and victory of selling a first book after laboring so hard. I think as long as we’re not afraid to feel, we can write deep emotion.

TRC: Writers Block is a very real phenomenon. How do you handle the pressures and anxiety of writers block?

Naima: Boy, do I know how real it is. LOL! Sometimes I just have to power through. An author once told me, You can edit s**t, but you can’t edit nothing. LOL! So true, so true. If I’m not on a deadline, and the words just aren’t coming, I step away from the computer, go take a nap, read a book, or watch ID Discovery. Just step back, gain some perspective and space, and then go back and try again. Usually, it works. Oh! And pray. ☺

TRC: Many authors bounce ideas and information with other authors or friends and family. With whom do you bounce ideas?

Naima: I am so blessed to have two of the absolute best critique partners evah! Debra Glass and Jessica Lee. Between the two of them, I can always work out a plot or snafu. They are my literary angels! LOL!

TRC: What three things would you like to accomplish in the next five years?

Naima: My pastor would be appalled right now, because he had us write this out about a year ago. And, yeah, I didn’t. *grin* Let’s see… Meet Nalini Singh. Take a family vacation overseas—I’ve been out of the country, but not with my husband or kids. And be successful and comfortable in a career I adore.

TRC: What is something that few, if any people, know about you?

Naima: When I was ten, I ate a worm on a dare after my sister, cousins, and I read the book, How to Eat Fried Worms. No, it didn’t taste like chicken…

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Naima: Well, the fourth book in the Secrets and Sins series, CHAYOT, is in editing. Yay! And I’m my current WIP is a contemporary romance involving blackmail, revenge, and a marriage of convenience. And sex. LOL!

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Naima: Yes! Thank you so much for the opportunity to visit with The Reading Café! And thank you to every reader who has supported me with buying my books, funny comments on Facebook, tweets, and emails. Not only has it been a total ride writing for you, it’s been a blast getting to know you! Love you! Huge tackle hug!

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food
Shrimp egg foo yung and hubby’s stuffed mushrooms

Favorite Dessert
Strawberry cake

Favorite TV Show
Modern Family

Last Movie You Saw
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Awesoooome!!)

Favorite Song
Come Up Here by Jason Upton

Dark or Milk Chocolate
Milk…especially if it’s a Symphony chocolate bar!

Secret Celebrity Crush
Can’t use Vin, because he’s not a secret. Umm…Charlize Theron. She’s gorgeous. I love my husband and aaaalll that he has to offer me, but yeah, she’s gaw-geous!

Last Vacation Destination
Cork City, Ireland

Pet Peeve
Off the top of my head, my pet peeve is when a certain person who shall remain nameless *cough* husband *cough* comes home with the Tupperware said person carried to work and drops it in some obscure place that I don’t find until days later. And by then it’s growing something that looks like it belongs in a Hogwarts laboratory and smells like it could make me invisible to zombies. That’s off the top of my head. Other than that? Smacking. Just put me in a room with a recording of someone smacking and I will tell you my social security number, bra size, and age!

TRC: Thank you Naima for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulation on the release of RAPHAEL: Secrets and Sins. We are
looking forward to reading CHAY’s storyline next.

Naima: Thank you! I’ve had a ball! ☺

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Breakable (Contours of the Heart #2) by Tammara Webber-Review, Interview and Giveaway

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Breakable (Contours of the Heart #2) by Tammara Webber-Review, Interview and Giveaway 

Breakable Banner

Breakable
Contours of the Heart #2
by Tammara Webber
Release Date: May 6, 2014
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult, romance

breakable May 14

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO / The Book Depository

About the book: Release Date May 6, 2014

He was lost and alone. Then he found her.
And the future seemed more fragile than ever.

As a child, Landon Lucas Maxfield believed his life was perfect and looked forward to a future filled with promise — until tragedy tore his family apart and made him doubt everything he ever believed.

All he wanted was to leave the past behind. When he met Jacqueline Wallace, his desire to be everything she needed came so easy…

As easy as it could be for a man who learned that the soul is breakable and that everything you hoped for could be ripped away in a heartbeat.

•••••••••••••••

REVIEW: BREAKABLE is the second instalment in Tammara Webber’s contemporary, new adult Contours of the Heart romance series. The storyline is told from alternating first person POVs –Lucas and Landon-using present day, flashbacks, memories and dream sequences. The story told from Lucas’s POV parallels the timeline in EASY (Book 1) and beyond; the story told from Landon’s POV covers the early years with Landon’s (Lucas) family, friends, school and the tragedy that destroyed it all.

Part of the premise follows Landon (Lucas) in the aftermath of the tragedy. We get up close and personal with a young boy/young man whose family has been destroyed; whose father is unable to cope; and a life that begins to spiral out of control. Landon struggles to survive in a world believing himself responsible for everything that happened.

Lucas’s POV follows the EASY timeline where our hero wars with his attraction to Jacqueline and his need to protect her from everyone including himself. The reader is pulled into the mind of a quiet, reserved genius who pushes away the memories and demons of the past by getting lost in his studies, his jobs, his volunteer programs and his need for the one woman he cannot have.

The world building follows several intersecting timelines that crossover between EASY and BREAKABLE. The secondary characters, especially in Landon’s (Lucas) early years are colorful, abrasive and dramatic. The reader will begin to understand the mind of a young boy as he battles the guilt that eats away at his heart and his soul; how the people in his life formed the building blocks of anger, revenge and temptation; and how a family friend would come to the rescue of a young man on a destructive path of violence and failure.

Tammara Webber writes a remarkable story that will captivate your mind; a story that is emotional, passionate and dramatic about a troubled boy who would grow up to be a responsible man but in between faces a life time of heartache and pain. BREAKABLE takes a closer look into the thoughts and emotions of Landon Lucas Maxfield as he endeavors to survive in a world of guilt and shame and, the one woman who will make it easier to acknowledge that a thirteen year old boy is not responsible for the sins of the past.

Reading Order
1. Easy
2. Breakable

Copy supplied by the publisher (Penguin)

Reviewed by Sandy

Interview beige

TRC: Hi Tammara and welcome to The Reading Café. Congratulations on the release of BREAKABLE, book two in your New Adult Contours of the Heart series.

Tammara: Thank you. ☺

Tammara WeberTRC: We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Tammara: I wrote my first romance novel at 19 (and threw it away after deciding it wasn’t good enough – without showing it to a single other person!). I went back to school in my thirties and went to work as an undergrad advisor after I graduated. I wrote two more “shelf novels” before writing the first book I published, making Easy the seventh novel I wrote. I’ve been married more than half my life, have three “new adults” of my own, and recently – my first grandcat.

TRC: Who or what influenced your foray into writing?

Tammara: I’ve always written. You could say that Go Dog Go was the most influential book of my life. It was the first one I tried to imitate by writing/coloring a story of my own.

breakable May 14TRC: BREAKABLE is the second storyline in your Contours of the Heart series. Is BREAKABLE a combination of a prequel storyline and a parallel version of EASY told from Lucas’s POV?

Tammara: Yes.

TRC: What was the factor(s) behind writing the storyline from Lucas’s POV?

Tammara: When I wrote EASY, Lucas didn’t “speak” to me very much. I knew his deception, but I didn’t know his past. I literally got halfway through writing the first draft before I knew what happened to him. I had a vague idea – but nothing concrete until I woke up with it. My husband was getting ready for work, and I opened the bathroom door and blurted it out to him. We were both horrified. I thought Lucas would open up to me more after that, but nope. He was quiet until nearly a year after I published EASY. Once he finally started telling me his story, I had to write it.

TRC: EASY is the first storyline in the series. What or who was your inspiration for the premise? Is the story based in reality or a combination of factors?

Order Links: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO / The Book Depository

EASYTammara: All my stories are a combination of many factors – some real, some pure imagination. I was sexually assaulted in my early twenties by a friend/classmate; there was no Lucas for me. I didn’t tell anyone for 12 years, at which point I told my best friend. That telling was an important turning point for me – the point where I consciously realized, fully, what had happened to me. The point where I realized that misjudging that guy’s character didn’t mean I was at fault for the rape. It meant I was unlucky. It also meant I was a survivor.

TRC: How has your life changed with the success of EASY?

Tammara: It’s turned upside down – in positive but sometimes unsettling ways. I was always the supporter of my husband’s career. I had no desire to go to college after high school, but I worked at the university as a secretary to put him through. He never objected to anything I wanted to do, however, even when I did a 180 (like deciding I wanted to go to school after all). If I wanted to stay home with the kids, or work, or take classes, it was all good. By the time I wrote EASY, I’d completed a degree in English and was working for the university. Our oldest child had completed a theatre degree from NYU, the middle one was about to graduate with a BS in biology, and the youngest was finishing high school. Having a financially successful career as an author was sudden and unexpected for me (and him!), but came alongside other transformative life shifts. Maybe it was a good thing that at the time, I didn’t know how to separate all the crazy, lol.

TRC: When writing, how do you keep the plot of your novels unpredictable without sacrificing content and believability?

Tammara: I actually don’t worry at all about keeping the plot unpredictable. I go straight for believability. Life is unpredictable. If I write realistically, I’ve got the problem of predictability covered as well as can be expected. ☺

TRC: When writing a novel, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

Tammara: The characters direct the writing.

TRC: The mark of a good writer is ability to pull the reader into the story so that they experience the emotions along with the characters. What do you believe a writer must do to make this happen? Where do you believe writers fail in this endeavor?

Tammara: I can only go by the emotions I feel when I write. If a character is supposed to be sad or grieving, and I’m not tearing up or outright crying, I’m doing something wrong. My favorite scene of EASY is the sorority meeting. I had chills running all over my body when I wrote that scene. I cried when I finished it. I knew I’d hit the emotion I meant to hit, as close as my ability could take it, because I felt it. As writers, we’re sometimes deadline-rushed or too focused on making something happen in a scene. I sometimes skip scenes and come back when I’m in the right mindset to write them.

TRC: Writer’s Block is a very real phenomenon. How do you handle the pressures and anxiety of writer’s block?

Tammara: I quit writing – take a walk, or read, or grab my husband and go get coffee, lunch or a drink. I bring a pad and pencil and we discuss where I’m stuck. Usually, stuck means it’s time to back up and go a different direction, even if it’s a small change. I make notes and come at it with fresh eyes later or the next day.

TRC: Many authors bounce ideas and information with other authors or friends and family. With whom do you bounce ideas?

Tammara: My husband is my brainstorming partner and my first reader. If something doesn’t work or doesn’t sound authentic, he says so. I have critique partners (other authors) to work with once I’ve got the words down.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Tammara: I tend to think about what I plan to write for several weeks, brainstorming story ideas and making notes, before I begin writing. Sometimes I toss ideas out and start over. Once BREAKABLE is launched, I’ll be able to begin concentrating on the next project.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food – TexMex

Favorite Dessert – chocolate cake

Favorite TV Show – Walking Dead

Favorite Entertainer – my son, Zachary ☺

Last Movie You Saw – Divergent

Dark or Milk Chocolate – dark

Secret Celebrity Crush – Robert Downey, Jr.

Last Vacation Destination – Texas Gulf coast

Pet Peeve – people who cut in line

TRC: Thank you, Tammara for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on the success of EASY and the release of BREAKABLE.

Tammara: Thanks so much for having me.

Tammara Webber is author of the New York Times bestselling New Adult novel Easy, the first novel in her Contours of the Heart series, and the Between the Lines series.  She is a hopeful romantic who adores novels with happy endings, because there are enough sad endings in real life.  Before writing full-time, she was an undergraduate academic advisor, economics tutor, planetarium office manager, radiology call center rep, and the palest person to ever work at a tanning salon.  She married her high school sweetheart, and is a mom to three adult kids and four very immature cats.  Connect with her online at tammarawebber.blogspot.com,  twitter.com/tammarawebber, and www.facebook.com/TammaraWebberAuthor.

BREAKABLE Buy Link:

http://widgets.penguin.com/Pages/affiliateLanding/index.aspx?isbn=9780425266861

EASY Buy Link:

http://widgets.penguin.com/Pages/affiliateLanding/index.aspx?isbn=9780425266748

Giveaway beige

Tammara and her publisher are offering a paper copy of BREAKABLE to one (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. Please register using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

4. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

5. LIKE Tammara Webber on Facebook.

6. The giveaway is open to USA only

7. The giveaway runs from May 13 to May 18, 2014

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Pure Heat (Firehawks #1) by M.L. Buchman-Review, Interview and Giveaway

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Pure Heat (Firehawks #1) by M.L. Buchman-Review, Interview and Giveaway

Pure Heat Banner 2

PURE HEAT
Firehawks #1
by M.L. Buchman
Genre: contemporary, action, special forces, romance

Pure Heat

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 6, 2014

These daredevil smokejumpers fight more than fires.

The elite fire experts of Mount Hood Aviation fly into places even the CIA can’t penetrate.

She lives to fight fires…

Carly Thomas could read burn patterns before she knew the alphabet. A third-generation forest fire specialist who lost both her father and her fiancé to the flames, she’s learned to live life like she fights fires: with emotions shut down.

But he’s lit an inferno she can’t quench…

Former smokejumper Steve “Merks” Mercer can no longer fight fires up close and personal, but he can still use his intimate knowledge of wildland burns as a spotter and drone specialist. Assigned to copilot a Firehawk with Carly, they take to the skies to battle the worst wildfire in decades and discover a terrorist threat hidden deep in the Oregon wilderness—but it’s the heat between them that really sizzles.

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REVIEW: PURE HEAT is the first instalment in M.L. Buchman’s contemporary, romance, action Firehawks series-a spinoff from his successful Night Stalker series. I have not read the previous series and although this is a spinoff, it can be read without any difficulty or frame of reference from the original storylines. This is former smokejumper Steve Mercer and Carly Thomas’s story. As the Oregon wildfires begin to engulf everything in their path, the experts of Mount Hood Aviation will discover they are looking at more than just a fire fight but possibly a terrorism threat from within.

The focus of the story is on a group of close knit elite fire experts-jumpers, helicopter pilots, fighters and, the struggle to contain the wild fires that have grown in intensity and danger. We are introduced to Steve Mercer-a former smokejumper-whose career was cut short from a near fatal injury that destroyed any chance of ever jumping again. With a new path in the war against wildfires, Steve is pulled into the close knit family of fire experts who risk their lives on a daily basis. To add to Steve’s struggle, Carly Thomas is a career wildfire expert from a long line of heroes but an expert who has seen her fair share of suffering and loss. It will take the pushing of his fellow firefighters to show Steve that Carly is worth the struggle-her cool demeanor hides a shattered heart.

M.L. Buchman writes a compelling and intriguing storyline where the world building is awash in technical terminology and jargon from the world of aviation and firefighting expertise. At times, the storyline appeared to lose focus in the vast amount of background particulars and history behind some of the ‘real life’ wildfires as well as the infinite details of the helicopters and firefighting machines but M.L. would steer the story back on track and pull the reader into an intense storyline where our characters struggle to keep the fires-of both their heart and the land- under control.

The secondary characters are colorful, intriguing, and passionate about what they do. The scenery is wondrous in its glory; the fire is staggering in its power; and the intimacy between our leading couple is sensual, heartbreaking and intense. We are pulled into the action, the mystery and the lives of those who face their mortality –day in and day out.

PURE HEAT tells a story about the heroes who fight the fires and risk their lives. It is a story about two people who fall in love under extreme circumstances-drawn together by a mutual need and understanding about what it is to lose and carry on. It is also a story about the wildfire devastation that destroys so many lives; destroys so much wildlife; and destroys the land upon which we live. And it is a story about the potential for terrorist activities that go unnoticed in a land that reaps it beauty and languor from nature and everything is has to offer.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

Interview orange:black

TRC: Hi Matthew and welcome to The Reading Café. Congratulations on the release of PURE HEAT –book one in your new Firehawks series.

ML BuchmanML: THANKS! It’s really exciting as an author to see a new series start off.

TRC: We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

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ML: I’m a full-time writer with 25 novels in print (mostly in romance). During my 25 years as a corporate project manager (IT, law, and construction), I have also rebuilt and raced a 50’ sailboat, designed and built 2 houses, and flown and jumped out of airplanes. I also quilt. And I’m one of “those” parents: don’t get me started on my kid because I’m so proud of her I’ll never shut up. Did I mention that we earned our Taekwondo black belts together before she went to college? (Sorry, couldn’t help myself.)

TRC: What or who influenced your foray into writing?

ML: I started writing fiction in July of 1993 while on a solo, around-the-world bicycle tour. I didn’t intend to write fiction, but it certainly came out that way. I can trace my absolute love of the written word back to my third-grade teacher, the life-changing Mrs. Kaye. She turned me into a voracious reader, it just took another 25 years before it turned into a need to tell stories myself.

Pure HeatTRC: PURE HEAT (May 2014) is the first release in your new Firehawks series-a spinoff from the Night Stalkers. Would you please tell us something about the premise?

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository

ML: The premise is (tiny spoiler) that Emily Beale got pregnant in The Night Stalkers book #4, Take Over at Midnight. So, she and Mark retire to form a new team as they fly for Mount Hood Aviation. This is a helicopter wildland firefighter outfit…who also happen to fly special mission for the CIA on occasion. (This is actually based on a real company not fifty miles from where I was living at the time.) My aerial firefighters find unexpected problems in the forests. They are also welcome to enter countries where the CIA needs information but they can’t send any military assets. Firefighters are always welcome. The problem is that they sometimes get in over their heads and must call in The Night Stalkers to help out.

TRC: Several of the Night Stalkers characters (Beale/Henderson: Kee) have secondary roles in PURE HEAT. Will most of the previous storyline characters play an active role in the new series ?

ML: Beale and Henderson are permanent fixtures in the Firehawks series (not saying they won’t pop up now and then with the Night Stalkers). Will the whole cast wander through? Uh, probably not. Will the cool reader cookies continue? Absolutely. I love revisiting favorite characters as much as the next person.

TRC: How many books do you have planned for the series ?

ML: Firehawks was conceived as a 3-book series…to start. I think in series, long ones. The Night Stalkers is already 4 books traditionally published, 2 more contracted, and 3 holiday short novels, and I have ideas for many more. I don’t see either series ending anytime soon. I did just end a 5-book Seattle-based contemporary romance series named “Angelo’s Hearth.”

TRC: There is a wealth of technical language, references and background information about fighting fires, flying helicopters and more. What challenges or difficulties (research, logistics, background, historical etc) did you encounter writing this particular story and series?

ML: I work very hard to make my books as realistic as possible, balanced against making it approachable for my readers. The single biggest challenge by far is dancing that thin line between exciting romantic suspense and realistic tedium. I don’t want to create a research book, I want to create a thrilling romance set against realistic situations.

TRC: If you could virtually cast the leading characters in this storyline, which models or actors best represents your ideal image?

ML: That’s easy. I always cast my books. Sometimes just a random photo, but Pure Heat was cast with Charlize Theron (her The Italian Job character) as Carly and a young Michael Biehn (from the first Terminator movie) as Steve.

Light Up the NightTRC: LIGHT UP THE NIGHT is the September 2014 release and fifth installment in your Night Stalkers series. Would you please tell us something about the premise?

ML: The first four Night Stalkers books are all based in a four-seat attack version of the Black Hawk called a DAP. The next two are in the smallest helicopter in the American military arsenal, the MH-6M “Little Bird.” Like these small, fast, lethal helicopters, the women who fly them are also quick and dangerous. The recurring character Trisha O’Malley from the first 4 books will be bringing her special skills and serious dose of attitude to the “Little Bird.”

TRC: Now that the spinoff series has been released, do you plan to continue writing the Night Stalkers and if so, how often will we see a cross over between the two series?

Night Stalker Series

ML: Absolutely! I love the Night Stalkers series. Will the firefighters get snarled up into a Night Stalkers book? That’s a cool idea. Thanks! Will the Night Stalkers continue to wander into the Firehawks series? Big Time!

TRC: How do you keep the plot unpredictable without sacrificing content and believability?

ML: I start with an immense amount of research which I continue right through the writing. I make the world as realistic as possible. I may compound problems, but they are real-world. They are made unpredictable by the compounding of problems and by the uniqueness of each of the individual character’s response to the those problems. I do clean them up to make them more approachable; what these folks do, both Army and wildland firefighters, is utterly amazing and far more dangerous than anything I can capture on paper.

TRC: When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

ML: I direct the characters by throwing crap (challenges) at them—sometimes I really, really rain on their parade. It is up to that character’s past experience and future dreams to determine what they do with that challenge and how they grow from it. It’s sort of a co-writing process.

TRC: The mark of a good writer is to pull the reader into the storyline so that they experience the emotions along with the characters. What do you believe a writer must do to make this happen? Where do you believe writer’s fail in this endeavor?

ML: I have a friend who says that character is opinion. Well, what’s opinion? It’s the setting filtered through the character’s emotion. If the character doesn’t feel, experience, grow from what is going on around them, how can you expect the reader to connect to the character. Where does it come apart? When I “the all-knowing author” step in and try to tell the story rather than allowing the character their opinion.

TRC: Writer’s Block is a very real phenomenon. How do you handle the pressures and anxiety of writer’s block?

ML: Don’t believe in it. Project block, sure—which I find mostly happens when I try to force characters to do things they wouldn’t. But if I’m stuck on one project, I can always work on another.

TRC: Many authors bounce ideas and information with other authors or friends and family. With whom do you bounce ideas?

ML: My first reader, magician, brainstormer, research librarian, wonderwoman…uh, that would be my wife.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

ML: Firehawks #3 is in process right now. And as I just finished my “Angelo’s Hearth” series, in June or July I’ll be launching a “Chef Romantic Suspense” series. (Still working on the series name.)

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

ML: You can keep track of new releases by signing up for my newsletter at: mlbuchman.com

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food
Pasta

Favorite Dessert
My wife’s apple pie –it’s awesome

Favorite TV Show
Castle, Top Chef, and Project Runway (all equal)…Star Trek Next Gen when it was on

Last Movie You Saw
Saving Mr. Banks

Dark or Milk Chocolate
Dark

Secret Celebrity Crush
Jodi Foster (don’t care, I’ll watch her act in anything)

Last Vacation Destination
Vancouver, B.C.

Pet Peeve
Cynics

TRC: Thank you Matt for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on the release of PURE HEAT.

ML: THANKS To not miss a thing, sign up for my newsletter at mlbuchman.com

Giveaway Black and Orange

M.L. Buchman and Sourcebooks are offering a paper copy of PURE HEAT to one (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe

1. Please register using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

4. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

5. Giveaway is open to US and Canada only.

6. Giveaway runs from May 2 to May 7, 2014, 2014

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