Tag Archives: Interview

Torn (Connections #2) by Kim Karr-Blog Tour and Giveaway

Posted on by
11

Torn (Connections #2) by Kim Karr-Blog Tour

TORN Blog Tour Banner

Torn
Connections #2
By Kim Karr
Release Date: October 1, 2013

Torn Cover HD

Click HERE for our review of TORN-Book #2 in Kim Karr’s Connections series

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

Rock star River Wilde brought Dahlia London back from the brink of hopelessness with his unwavering love and devotion. But their entangled history is about to test the strength of their relationship…

Dahlia was certain she had found true love and met her “Once in a Lifetime’ when she reconnected with River. But Dahlia’s world comes crashing down when someone from her past resurfaces, and all of River’s carefully hidden secrets are exposed.

River wants to show Dahlia that life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass—it’s about dancing in the rain. But how many times can one broken heart be mended? Will River and Dahlia be able to stay together or will they be torn apart?

_________________________________

Interview

1. What inspired you to write Connected and Torn?

The night The Voice premiered on NBC in April 2011, I watched it and fell in love with the show and Adam Levine. I started to think about his journey with Maroon 5 and the number of years it took him to gain fame. I had been thinking about writing a book but hadn’t come up with a storyline that intrigued me enough. For some reason, that night the story of Dahlia, River, and Ben came to mind. The name of book was different as well as character names, but the plot never veered. I always intended for these two books to be a duet and the ending of Connected was the very first thing I wrote.

2. Discuss your inspiration for Dahlia, Ben, River. How did they transpire?

Character inspiration for Connected evolved as soon as the concept of the book came alive in my mind, I knew I wanted a strong heroine and two heroes that loved her but in different ways. I created the characters from within, who they were, and then conveyed their personalities and appearances to the reader.

In my head, Dahlia had to be strong to weather the circumstances life threw her way, but I wanted her to be funny and loving with quirks and habits.

Ben’s personality, as well as his name, actually transpired from a character on a TV show I used to watch years ago. The character on the show was an avid basketball player and swimmer, but since Dahlia and Ben lived near the beach, I decided he should be a surfer. A surfer who has difficulty expressing his feelings, hasty in decision making, temperamental, and contemplative, somewhat of a contrast to Dahlia. But, Ben has true depth and sensitivity that Dahlia admires.

River’s character didn’t transpire as much—he just happened. He is who I would consider to be the perfect guy. I took all the traits I love and admire about men and lumped them into him.

3. Did you plan for your first book to turn into a series?

Yes I did. Just as I planned Connected and Torn to be a duet, my original plan was The Connections Series would consist of three duets for a total of six books. I have since changed my mind and the remaining books in the series will be stand alones. Of course they are part of a series and all characters will appear in all books.

4. You left Connected hanging with a major cliffhanger—will you do that in your next books?

Since I wrote the end of Connected before I wrote the beginning, I don’t regret the ending. Would I do again—absolutely! Would I write another book with a cliffhanger hanging—that I’m not sure about!

5. Do you have a specific writing style?

I think all writers do. We have a certain flow and sentence structure that rarely varies book to book. I have already plotted out the remaining books in the Connections Series and I’ve written the endings for each one.

6. What book are you reading now?

I try to keep up the latest releases as well as read releases in my favorite series. When I’m writing it’s hard to read but I try to set aside at least an hour a day.

7. What current project are you working on?

I am writing Mended. This is Xander Wild’e’s story and his brother does make an appearance.

8. What can readers look forward to in the future?

My plan is finish Mended then decide if The Connections Series will consist of 5 or 6 books. I am considering cutting one. The book after Mended is Frayed and I have already started that story. It was actually suppose to be released before Mended but I changed my mind.

9. Please explain the importance of music to you in books. You said something in your Author’s note about how important it was to you in writing and that the chapter titles have significance.

All chapters in my books are named after songs that inspired me. Bob Marley said, “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.” As a listener, I couldn’t agree more. As a writer, I think it’s better to say music is what feelings sound like when those feelings are written in print.

Music and writing are different, yet similar arts. They both tell a story. They both convey emotion. Yet, one can be heard and the other seen. If you can write a story and put music behind it, I believe you can convey feelings in a more impactful, raw, and emotional way. When trying to express written emotions, the tone of a certain song can allow the reader to feel the sentiments that the character is feeling.

I chose to have each chapter be titled by a song that best represented the events occurring within. My goal is that the reader will listen to the song before reading each chapter so they will feel the full impact of the scene.

In the words of Billy Joel, “I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music.” I couldn’t agree more. Listening to the lyrics of a song and truly understanding them tells such a beautiful story. So, combining this with an emotional novel just helps bring it to life.

10. Do you have any advice for other writers?

My advice to new writers: plan out your story before you begin. It is so much easier to fill in the chapters than sit there with a blank screen trying to figure out what to write. Also, reach out, make friends, share your work, find a support group, and always have faith in your work.

_______________________________

Kim KarrABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kim Karr

I live in Florida with my husband and four kids. I’ve always had a love for reading books and writing. Being an English major in college, I wanted to teach at the college level but that was not to be. I went on to receive an MBA and became a project manager until quitting to raise my family. I currently work part-time with my husband and full-time embracing one of my biggest passions—writing.

I wear a lot of hats! Writer, book-lover, wife, soccer-mom, taxi driver, and the all around go-to person of the family. However, I always find time to read. One of my favorite family outings use to be taking my kids to the bookstore or the library. Today, my oldest child is in college and my twins are juniors so they no longer go with me on these outings. And although I don’t need to go to the actual store anymore because I have the greatest device ever invented—a Kindle, I still do. There’s nothing like a paperback. So now my four year old and I make dates out of going to the bookstore–it’s time I love and cherish.

I like to believe in soulmates, kindred spirits, true friends, and Happily-Ever-Afters. I love to drink champagne, listen to music, and hopes to always stay young at heart. 

Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads  |  Pinterest 

__________________________________

Giveaway pink

Kim Karr is offering an ebook copy of TORN to one lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

Please {like} Kim’s Facebook page for an extra entry-let us know in your comments:

Click HERE to LIKE Kim’s FB page.

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

2. If you are using a social log-in such as Twitter or Facebook, please post your email address with your comment

3. Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY

4. Giveaway runs from October 1 to October 11, 2013

TORN Playlist

Share

Cache a Predator by M. Weidenbenner-Review and Interview with the Author

Posted on by
18

Cache a Predator by M. Weidenbenner-Review and Interview with the Author

Cache a Predator

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 28, 2013

Officer Brett Reed will do anything to gain custody of his five-year-old daughter, Quinn. But when a judge grants Brett’s drug-addicted ex-wife custody and slaps him with a protective order for losing his temper, he fears for Quinn’s safety. Who will protect her now?

When Quinn is found abandoned on the streets, she’s placed in a temporary foster home until Child Protective Services can complete an assessment. It should only take a few days.

But a lot can happen in a few days.

Especially when there’s a deranged psychopath on the loose, someone who’s attacking pedophiles, someone who wants to protect children like Quinn, and someone who’s planting body parts in geocaching sites.

Cache a Predator is a novel about a father’s love, justice, and the unhinged game of hide-the-cache.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: Let me begin by letting you know this book is such a thrilling read! That said; let’s get into the premise and beginning of the story.

I don’t want to give too much away, but we’re dealing with abuse (physical and sexual) and its aftermath years down the road and how it affects the lives it touches, I know – not a wonderful subject, but this is really well done. The story begins with the narration of a person going a crime…describing feelings, past and present, what they’re doing now and the whole scene. The crime is an interesting one, breaking into a mausoleum and cutting off the male member of a dead abuser…then taking that and sealing it in a plastic bag and hiding in in a geocache location. Geocaching is an interesting hiking activity of a sort of treasure hunt game people are playing all over the world…Google it!

This is an intricate story or stories as it deals with different people and their lives all touched by the same or similar situations and the aftermath.
The main character in this twisty thrilling tale is Brett Reed. Brett spent twelve years trying to “rescue” Ali, his ex-wife from herself and her issues from her past, but some people just won’t be saved. However, they managed to produce Quinn, a wonderful little girl who loves her parents. Circumstances have Brett wound up in knots trying to gain custody of his daughter, while trying not to harm her mother any further than she already is! You really feel the frustration that courts and their “snail-pace” can and do inflict.

Brett is also a police officer and he and his partner draw the case of the “whacker”, who is now whacking live sex offenders in their area and geocaching their members as well!

Due to complications, I would need to write my own novel to describe; Quinn is placed in Child Protective Services (CPS) care to keep her safe until custody can be determined by the courts, after she is found wondering the streets of the neighborhood in the middle of the night. This brings into play the lovely Dr. Sarah Grinwald, a psychologist and part-time case worker for CPS. She’s to assess Quinn, Ali and Brett and make a recommendation to the courts as to custody and what would be in Quinn’s best interests.

Sarah is a very good psychologist, but also a wonderful human being! The sparks between Brett and Sarah are immediate, but very slow and cautious. Now the fun begins! This story takes off on many levels as crimes, personal issues, and more wind into a marvelously compelling and thrilling tale.

While I’m not a lover of abuse stories, I found this intriguing tale compelling and strangely uplifting. I think this was mostly due to the well written dialog and plot of this story. It’s inspirational, slightly sensual, and very realistically written. I have to say I just loved it and wanted more! This was definitely worth the read!! Enjoy, I did!

Copy supplied by the author

Reviewed by Georgianna

Interview

TRC: Hi Michelle and welcome to The Reading Café. Congratulations on the release of CACHE A PREDATOR.

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

Follow Michelle: Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

M. WeidenbennerMichelle: I’m a fulltime writer and blogger, encouraging adults and teens on their writing journey. My blog is called RANDOM WRITING RANTS.

I’m a sucker for emotional stories, sometimes called an empath. I feel other people’s pain. It’s my sensitive side that fuels the passion for my character’s plights, often giving me the ability to show readers the other side of the story.

I grew up in the burbs of Detroit with five brothers. No sisters. Each time my mom brought the boy bundle home I cried, certain my mom liked boys better than girls. But when my brothers pitched in with the cooking, cleaning, and babysitting—without drama, I discovered having brothers wasn’t so bad. They even taught me how to take direct criticism without flinching, which might come in handy with book reviews.

I’m living my dream—writing every day and thanking God for the stories He puts in my path. When I’m not writing I’m winning ugly on the tennis court. I’m known as “Queen of the Rim Shots.” No joke. It’s ugly.

My debut novel, Cache a Predator is a geocaching mystery and an Amazon bestseller in the thriller/crime category.

Scattered Links, a Young Adult novel about a Russian orphan, is slated to be released January 2014.

Cache a PredatorTRC: July 30 2013 saw the release of your suspense/mystery novel CACHE A PREDATOR. Would you please tell us something about the premise?

Michelle: It’s a geocaching mystery about a cop who wants custody of his five-year-old daughter. But first he has to convince the judge, child protective services, and a deranged vigilante that he’s a good dad.

TRC: Do you have plans for a series of novels focusing on Officer Brett Reed and his murder investigations or is this a stand alone novel?

Michelle: Although this is a stand-alone novel, several readers have commented that they’d love for the story to continue, so I might have to consider a series.

TRC: If you could virtually cast the leading characters of CACHE A PREDATOR, which actors or models would best represent your ideal image or character muse?

Michelle: Confession—I have no clue. I’m really bad at knowing the names of actors and actresses. Isn’t that pitiful? Maybe if they wore nametags on their foreheads I could remember! I know, it’s embarrassing. My friends make fun of me about not knowing who the big ones are.

However, I have a Pinterest board of CACHE a PREDATOR and photos of what I think the characters might look like.

TRC: What is the significance of the novel title-CACHE a PREDATOR and its relationship to the storyline?

Michelle: In the sport “geocaching” hikers find hidden cache boxes in their communities. They use GPS devices to find the coordinates of where the cache boxes are hidden. In this novel, the “cache” is a predator’s body part, thus “Cache a Predator.” But it’s a play on words too—meant to sound like “Catch a Predator.” The vigilante targets pedophiles and plants a “piece” of them in the cache boxes.

TRC: Who or what was the influence behind the storyline and Officer Brett Reed?

Michelle: I knew a dad who was going through a divorce and he worried the female judge would grant his ex-wife custody of their son. His raw emotion helped feed this story. I also think that there are a lot of great dads out there who are married to women who struggle with addictions, but you don’t hear about them as often as you do men with addictions.

When a friend of mine suggested I write a geocaching mystery I had no clue what geocaching was. But once I researched this sport I was totally intrigued. That led me to thinking, “Who would plant body parts in these cache boxes?” I decided it would be someone who liked to play games and had a backstory that would lend itself to targeting pedophiles–who seemed the least likeable people.

TRC: We have read where a number of readers were caught off-guard with the storyline content in the initial pages of the novel. What ‘warnings’ or information would you like to impart to your readers and followers regarding the imagery or details of the storyline?

Michelle: The first chapter is tough for readers because they’re in the mind of the vigilante—a person who’s been sexually abused and wants to right wrongs, wants to protect other children from abuse. It’s gross because the vigilante targets pedophiles and slices a body part—the part that causes the most damage in children.

I’ve thought of rewriting that first chapter, but it’s important to see what drives the story. Maiming pedophiles is something that people have thought about, but no one has ever written about. I understand why it’s difficult for some readers to read, but if they can get past the first chapter it’s not bad thereafter.

There are 35 five-star reviews at Amazon so many readers have gotten past that first chapter.

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

Michelle: It’s a little of both. Characters have specific flaws and strengths so who they are dictates what they do and how they speak. However, the outline to the story is something that I loosely plan. I want the characters to show the readers a certain story, so I have to orchestrate that a little and put obstacles in the character’s way.

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

Michelle: Great question. How do you? Ha!

Typically there’s a perfect ending. What the characters do is a result of their personalities and their predicaments. It leads to the ending that best fits. Sometimes it’s not what the readers want to see though. Sometimes the main character dies and the reader is disappointed, but if it fits the story then it works.

TRC: Are you a plotter or a panster (‘write by the seat of your pants’)?

Michelle: A little of both. I like to have a loose outline so I know the beginning and the ending, but I might not have the middle plot points figured out. For instance, I’m writing a mid-grade novel about a boy who has to save the canine race and a centaur showed up, a mythological creature who’s an immortal half man/half horse. It’s a supernatural story so it fit, but that creature came out of nowhere. Two months ago I didn’t even know what a centaur was. So, you see, if I had everything figured out to the “Nth” degree it wouldn’t allow for any creativity.

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?

Michelle: I love this question, and I totally believe this is the reason readers keep reading or close the book before they finish. If the hero doesn’t sacrifice something, or if the writer doesn’t make me care for the character, then I’m not going to be interested in finishing the novel.

In Cache a Predator I wanted readers to feel sorry for Brett Reed. He’s a great guy who wants custody of his five-year-old daughter to keep her safe from a drug-addicted mother. He only wants what’s best for his little girl. But he has a temper. That’s one of his flaws. He doesn’t see eye-to-eye with a judge who thinks the child is better off with her mother.

But I also want the reader to feel sorry for the vigilante. I think they do by the end of the book, but not in that first chapter. Ha!

In my next novel, Scattered Links, readers feel sorry for Oksana because they see her on the streets in Russia with an abusive aunt. The first 500 words of this novel won $1000 in the Aspiring Writers Contest with The Reading Room a few weeks ago. Literary agent Catherine Drayton requested the full novel for consideration too! (She’s the BOOK THIEF’s agent.) I think the reason this novel won was because readers cared about Oksana. They felt sorry for her right away. (At least, I hope they did!)

TRC: Many writers bounce ideas with family and friends. With whom do you bounce ideas?

Michelle: I have a group of writer friends I “bounce” with. We meet once a week. But one of my favorite “bouncers” is a young mom, Janelle Leonard, in upstate New York—far from my Indiana home. I met her online. We PM at Facebook. Last week we spoke on the phone for the first time and I loved it! I feel like we’re sisters with a different mother. Wait, actually, I could be her mother I’m so much older than her. Ha! But she reads a ton of Young Adult and writes in that genre, so I find her helpful. I love her writing voice—it’s very different than mine so I appreciate it. I like to encourage her too, and listen to her ideas because she’s an amazing and creative woman.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Michelle: I’m in the final edits of my young adult contemporary novel, SCATTERED LINKS. It’s a multicultural novel set in Russia and then the US. It’s about a teen who’s abandoned in an orphanage before she says goodbye to her Mama or tells her a secret that haunts her.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Michelle: Thanks for asking great questions and giving me the opportunity to be at the READING CAFÉ!

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food – Crunchy asparagus sushi

Favorite TV Show – I don’t watch much TV, just mostly FOX news. But Robin Roberts from Good Morning America is awesome too. It’s not that I don’t like to watch TV, it’s just that I enjoy writing and reading more.

Last Movie You Saw – Superman. I loved the Christian elements.

Dark or Milk chocolate – Milk Chocolate

Favorite Flower – Yellow daisies

Secret Celebrity Crush – I don’t really have one. I know. I’m weird.

Pet Peeve – Indie authors who don’t hire a developmental editor or line-editor for their novels. They give other “Indie” authors a bad name when they publish novels with typos, grammar errors, and plot problems.

TRC: Thank you Michelle for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on the release of CACHE A PREDATOR. We wish you all the best.

Michelle: Thanks! The pleasure was all mine.

Share

An Interview with Melissa De La Cruz

Posted on by
31

An Interview with Melissa De La Cruz

Melissa_de_la_Cruz_credit_Denise_Bovee
The Reading Cafe is happy to welcome Melissa De La Cruz as our guest today.

Melissa is here to discuss her book, Frozen, which she co-authored with Michael Johnston.  Frozen was released today, and is the first book in their new Heart of Dread series.

Our review of Frozen is below this post.

Let’s meet Melissa.


Interview orange:black

Hi Melissa.  Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions. We are always looking forward to reading about the author behind the book, and it is a pleasure to have you here at The Reading Café.

TRC: Will you please tell us about yourself?

Melissa: I am the author of many series including Blue Bloods, Witches of East End and the co-author of Frozen, the first book in the Heart of Dread series I am writing with my husband.

TRC: When and how did you become interested in writing?  Have you always liked to write?

Melissa: Ever since I was eleven years old, I knew I wanted to be a writer. I grew up reading the Sweet Valley High series, and when I found out the writers of that series were girls in their 20s, I thought, that could be me when I grew up!

TRC: How did you come up with the idea of your new Heart of Dread series?  Can you please tell our readers the premise of this series?

Melissa: It came from wanting to write a "cool" epic fantascy, that had all the grit and military action of our favorite Ridley Scott movies, like Aliens, as well as wanting to write a "futuristic" Generation Kill meets Lord of the Rings. It's a tribute to all the classic sci-fi and fantasy we loved as teenagers – a nod to Dune, Lord of the Rings and Piers Anthony's Xanth.

TRC: How many books are you planning for Heart of Dread?

Melissa: Right now I think we are planning three or four books. Not quite sure how the arcs will play out although we know all the big scenes and our big ending.

Frozen
TRC:  Frozen is the 1st book in your Heart of Dread series.  Can you give us a brief description of the book?

Melissa: It's a post-apocalyptic tale about Nat Kestal,  a 16 year old blackjack dealer in New Vegas who is looking to find the mythical land of the Blue. The world is a frozen wasteland, science and technology have broken down, and something new is coming from the ice. It has romance, magic, adventure, survival, devastation and hope.

 

Links to order Frozen: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

 

winds of salem
TRC:  Winds of Salem, which is the 3rd book in your Witches of East End was just released last month.  Can you please tell us the premise of this series, for those who may not have started this series?

Melissa: It is about a family of witches in Long Island who are also immortal Norse gods. It's about mothers and sisters, brothers, lost fathers, lost loves, curses and dark and light magic.

Links to order Winds of Salem:
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

 

Witches of East End TV
TRC:  Witches of East End is slated to be on television.  Can you give us a little more information as to when, and where we can watch this?  Is this a TV movie or a series?

Melissa: It is a series that will premiere on Lifetime on October 6th. Julia Ormond, Jenna Dewan Tatum, Rachel Boston, Madchen Amick, Daniel diTomasso and Eric Winter star in it.

It is one of the most wonderful and surreal experiences I've ever had in my life, I'm incredibly excited and proud of the TV show and all the people who have worked so hard to make it. I couldn't be happier or prouder of the show. I'm the fairy godmother of the show and I love it.

TRC:  A wonderful cast. 🙂  Look forward to watching it.

TRC:  You recently ended your Blue Bloods series, but you have a special 4 e-book spinoff from that series.  Can you please tell us about this?

Melissa: Wolf Pact is about Bliss’s journey with the hellhounds.

TRC: What are you working on now?

Melissa: I have a new series, my royal soap opera called THE RING AND THE CROWN coming out in April from Disney Hyperion. Mike and I are working on the second book in the Heart of Dreads series, STOLEN, and I also am working on the spinoff to Blue Bloods called THE VAMPIRES OF MANHATTAN.

We have a bunch more book projects in the works, we're always working on many projects at once.

TRC:  You write a few genres.  Do you have a favorite?

Melissa: I enjoy writing for young adults, whether in contemporary or paranormal or fantasy. I love writing for teenagers.

TRC: What is your writing process? Do you have a favorite spot or time? Do you like to outline your stories or just go with the flow?

Melissa: We outline our stories, we have very detailed outlines that we flesh out. We have an office at home and an office in a building down the street. I also like to go to writer friends' houses and write with them. I can write anywhere, really. I don't have a favorite spot. I often have to write on tour and during book festivals so I have to adapt.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Melissa: Looking forward to seeing our readers on our Frozen tour! Please come and see us!

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food: Filipino

Favorite Dessert: Chocolate anything

Favorite Movie: Moulin Rouge

Favorite TV Show: Breaking Bad / Game of Thrones / Walking Dead

Milk or Dark Chocolate: Milk

Favorite character (male & female) not written by you: Aragorn from LOTR

Thank you, Melissa for answering our questions. We look forward to continuing to read your books, and to work with you in the future.  Good luck with Frozen.

 

About the Author Black and Orange

Melissa de la Cruz is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for teens including The Au Pairs series, the Blue Bloods series, the Ashleys series, the Angels on Sunset Boulevard series and the semi-autobiographical novel Fresh off the Boat.

Her books for adults include the novel Cat’s Meow, the anthology Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys and the tongue-in-chic handbooks How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less and The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-inch heels and Faux-Pas.

She has worked as a fashion and beauty editor and has written for many publications including The New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, The San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney’s, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and FoxNews.

Melissa grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from The Convent of the Sacred Heart. She majored in art history and English at Columbia University (and minored in nightclubs and shopping!).

Melissa lives in Los Angeles and Palm Springs with her family.

 

blueandwhitegiveawayMelissa has graciously offered to give One member of The Reading Café a hard copy of her new release, Frozen.

1.  Please register using the Log-In at the top of the page, or by using one of our social log-ins.

2.  If you are using a social log-in e.g. Twitter, please leave your email address along with your comment.

3.  Giveaway open US only.

4.  Contests runs from September 17 to September 21, 2013

 

Share

Catching Up With Erin Knightley

Posted on by
17

Catching Up With Erin Knightley

Erin-Knightley2

 

The Reading Cafe is happy to welcome back Erin Knightley. Erin is here today to talk about her just released book, Flirting With Fortune, which is her 3rd book in her Sealed With a Kiss series. She will also tell us what she has in store for  2013/2014.

Let’s talk to Erin.

 

 

TRC: Hi, Erin.  Thank you for taking the time to visit us at The Reading Cafe, to discuss your new release “Flirting with Fortune”, as well as to talk about what you have planned in 2014.

Erin: Hello! Thanks so much for inviting me to join you  🙂

TRC: You have just released Flirting with Fortune, which is the 3rd book in your Sealed with a Kiss series.  For those who may not have read this series, would you please give us a brief description of the premise of the series?

Erin:  Absolutely! The Sealed with a Kiss series follows three of the Moore siblings – children of the Marquis of Granville. Each book features letters that are important to the storyline—which is where the Sealed with a Kiss title came from. Someday I hope to return to the series and give the youngest two siblings, twins Carolyn and Jocelyn, their happily ever afters, too!

FINAL Ruined by a Rake Cover CroppedTRC: Earlier this year you published a novella, Ruined by a Rake.  Can you give us a brief description of this novella?  How different was it writing a short story in comparision to your three full length books?

Erin:  The novella was created in good fun—I wanted a good old fashioned love/hate relationship. Out of that idea grew Eleanor and Nick’s story. Here’s the elevator pitch: When the only way to save the woman he loves from being forced into the wrong marriage is to ruin her, what’s a rake to do?

For the full blurb and to read an excerpt, check out my “Books” page on my website 🙂

Miss Mistletoe

 

As for the writing, it’s both freeing and constricting to write a novella, lol. It’s nice not to agonize over a long, involved plot, but it still has to have enough going on to be interesting! This was actually my second novella (MISS MISTLETOE was my first, which was actually connected to the Sealed with a Kiss novels), so I had already learned a few lessons 😉

 

 

 

flirting with fortune

 

TRC: Will you please tell us a bit about Flirting with Fortune, which was released over a week ago?

Erin:  Oh, my, can I start with how darn sexy Colin’s half-Scottish accent is? His voice is crystal clear in my head, and I really hope I captured that for the reader! Colin is a barrister-in-training who recently inherited a title—along with an unexpected avalanche of debt. Now he’s forced to become the one thing he never imagined in order to save his family’s home and future: a fortune hunter.

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository

Beatrice is an accomplished painter, a bit of a snoop, and an heiress who has come to despise the fortune hunters who circle like vultures. She’s learned a thing or two about how to spot them in her six months since debuting, but all bets are off when she meets the son of Britain’s most famous painter.

I have had so many people ask me about Beatrice getting her own story (she was prominent in both of the first two books), that I was a nervous wreck about getting her story right! I hope I succeeded – y’all will have to let me know what you think!

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

Erin: I’ve just turned in the first book in my new series titled THE BARON NEXT DOOR. The series is tentatively named Prelude to a Kiss, and it follows a trio of young female musicians who have converged on Bath for the first annual Summer Serenade in Somerset music festival. Anyone who read A Taste for Scandal will recognize my heroine, pianoforte player Charity. This book comes out in late spring 2014, and I believe the second book in the series will be out in winter 2014.

A fun little fact: of all people, Charity was actually loosely based on my brother! Like him, she is a gifted musician who hears music in her head and composes on the fly. If you want to hear a piece he conducted that I listened to while writing one of the emotional scenes in the book, check this out: Click here.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Erin: If any of your readers would like to try one of my stories, I am offering RUINED BY A RAKE free for a limited time! Available wherever e-books are sold 🙂 Also, I love chatting with readers, writers, and fans alike. I’m on Twitter, Facebook, and I even occasionally blog on my website. Lastly, to stay up-to-date on giveaways and releases, please feel free to sign up for my newsletter  🙂

TRC:  TRC members, don’t miss Erin’s limited time offer of a free copy of Ruined by a Rake.  It was a fun enjoyable read.

TRC:Thank you, Erin for giving us an update on Flirting With Fortune, as well as what we can look forward to in the future.  It was a pleasure talking with you again.  We hope to catch up again in the future.

Erin: Thanks so much for having me here!

Share

An Interview with Melissa Foster

Posted on by
28

An Interview with Melissa Foster

Melissa Foster
The Reading Cafe is happy to welcome Melissa Foster as our guest today.

Melissa is here today to discuss her first book in her new Love in Bloom series, Sisters In Love, which was released last week.

Let’s meet Melissa.

 

 

 

TRC: Hi, Melissa.  Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions today.  We are always looking forward to reading about the author behind the book, and it is a pleasure to welcome you to The Reading Cafe.

Will you please tell us about yourself?

Melissa:  **Waves** If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, then you probably know that I’m addicted to optimism. I love to help others see the positive side of life, and I feel like the luckiest person on earth because I get to do what I love on a daily basis. Writing feeds my passion for creativity, and for giving something to others. I’m also a mom to six great kids and I’m married to an incredibly supportive (and really hot) hubby who puts up with me falling in love with fictitious characters.

TRC: When and how did you become interested in writing?  Have you always liked to write?

Melissa:  I have always been interested in writing on one level or another, but about 25 years ago I really got the “bug” and then I waited until all of my kids were in school full time to begin writing as a career.

TRC: How did you come up with the idea of your new The Snow Sisters series?  Can you please tell our readers the premise of this series?

Melissa:  I’m still wondering that, myself! Danica and Blake came to me when I was thinking about writing a happy, light-hearted women’s fiction/romance. I was thinking about the people I would want to write about and knew that Danica’s character had to be a deep thinker, and then Blake appeared, giving her all sorts of wonderful—and different—things to think about. They found me, I didn’t find them.

SISTERS IN LOVE is the story of two sisters; Danica, a practical, even if a bit boring, therapist, who has always been there to bail out her promiscuous, larger than life sister, Kaylie. Both sisters are ready for a change, but they don’t realize it at the onset of the story. Blake Carter is a player—always has been, and thinks he always will be—until he bonks Danica in the nose, and for the first time he’s blown off by a woman he’s attracted to. Then his best friend dies and he begins to reevaluate his life.   When Blake seeks a therapist’s help and unknowingly walks into Danica’s office, sparks fly…

Sisters in LoveTRC:  Sisters in Love is the 1st book in your Snow Sisters.  Can you give us a brief description of the book?

Melissa:  Danica Snow has always been the smart, practical, and appropriate sister.   As a therapist, she prides herself on making reasonable, conservative choices, even if a bit boring, and as part of the Big Sister Program, she has little time for anything more in her life.

Blake Carter is a player. He never gets bored of conquering women, and with his sexy good looks and successful lifestyle, he has no trouble finding willing participants. When his friend and business partner dies in a tragic accident, he suddenly, desperately, wants to change his ways. The problem is, he doesn’t know how to stop doing what he does best.

When Blake walks into Danica’s office, the attraction between them is white hot, but Danica isn’t the type to give into the heat and risk her career. Danica’s desire sets her on a path of self-discovery, where she begins to question every decision she’s ever made. Just this once, Danica wants to indulge in the pleasures of life she’s been so willingly ignoring, but with her Little Sister in turmoil and her biological sister’s promiscuousness weighing heavily on her heart, she isn’t sure it’s the right time to set her desires free.

Links to order Sisters in Love: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

TRC:  Do you have a schedule of when we can anticipate book 2 & 3 of this series?

Melissa:  Yes! There are three books in the Snow Sisters series, and at the end of book three, you meet the Bradens, a family of six hot, wealthy, and lovable characters. Both the SNOW SISTERS and THE BRADENS are in one series umbrella, LOVE IN BLOOM. The publishing schedule is as follows:

LOVE IN BLOOM SERIES:

Sisters in Love, (Snow Sisters) September 9, 2013
Sisters in Bloom, (Snow Sisters) October 10, 2013
Sisters in White, (Snow Sisters) November 9, 2013
Lovers at Heart, (The Bradens), December 9, 2013
Destined to Love, (The Bradens), January 9, 2014
Friendship on Fire, (The Bradens), February 9, 2014
Sea of Love, (The Bradens), March 9, 2014
Bursting with Love, (The Bradens), April 9, 2014
Hearts at Play, (The Bradens), May 9, 2014

TRC:  We see that you have another series upcoming, The Bradens, some of whom we get to meet in the Snow Sisters series.  What can you tell us about this series?

Melissa:  As mentioned above, The Bradens are a family of six hot, wealthy, and lovable characters. Their series is a bit different, as each character has their own book/romance. The Snow sisters appear in many of the Braden books. The two families grew up in neighboring towns, so readers will recognize locations in both books. **PLEASE NOTE** These series are not my typical type of writing. They include sexual content, and The Bradens are a very sexy crew, so be ready!

The Bradens are adult characters that have already established their careers. Their mother passed away when they were young, and their father, a Colorado Rancher, raised them. Each of these sexy character’s stories are about finding their forever love.

TRC:  When you were writing the Snow Sisters, did you come up wit h the idea of The Bradens, or was this already in your planning process before you started either series?

Melissa:  The Bradens was going to be a separate series, but when I was writing the second book in the Snow Sisters I realized that Kaylie Snow had already met Treat Braden, and it became clear that the characters who grew up in neighboring towns had more too much in common to be separated.

TRC:  How many books are you planning for The Bradens?  When can we anticipate the first book being released?

Melissa:  The Bradens will include six books, and the schedule is noted above 🙂

TRC: What are you working on now?

Melissa:  I’m completing the last books in The Bradens series over the next few weeks, and when those are complete, I’m moving onto my next series (working title) Starfish Girls.

TRC:  In your spare time, you are very active in helping others.  You are involved in multiple sites.

* The Women’s Nest is your brainchild for helping women better themselves.  Can you tell us more about this community for woman, and how you became involved in this?

Melissa:  Women who stay home with their children, women who work, women who work from home, disabled women…we all experience the same types of ups and downs in life. Our issues may very with regard to specifics, but the impact on our emotions and lives are very similar. I opened The Women’s Nest as a place where all women can come together, feel like they fit in, and support other women by sharing advice, motivating each other, and celebrating the highs of life, while helping each other through the lows.

* The World Literary Café and Fostering Success are sites to help authors publish and promote their books.  Would you like to tell us more about this?

Melissa:  The World Literary Café (#WLC) is an online community that bridges the gap between readers and authors, with the mission of paying-it-forward in the literary field, promoting great literature, and bringing together the literary community. The WLC offers helpful promotions to authors, reviewers, bloggers, and editors by creating avenues to bring them together under one umbrella in an easily navigable venue.

TRC:  Being a prolific writer, with many books, how do you have time to be able to participate on these other sites?

Melissa:  I’m one of those weird people who does best under pressure. I divide my time between writing, running the sites, and my family. There are never enough hours in the day, and I have an awesome staff at WLC—without them, WLC could not function. Staff: http://www.worldliterarycafe.com/content/meet-staff-wlc

TRC: What is your writing process? Do you have a favorite spot or time? Do you like to outline your stories or just go with the flow?

Melissa:  I’m a real lover of rituals. I write daily from 8:45 until 4pm and then if I haven’t hit my word count, I write into the evening. I adore my office, which has large windows and a view of a field (not very romantic, but it’s better than looking at concrete). My office is filled with colors and textures, and my own quirky decorations of motivational sayings, a writer’s clock, and an enormous painting of a Zebra. My cat is my writing buddy.

I am a terrible outliner. I think I am the definition of “panzer” – and when I try to outline it’s painful and my story takes off in a different direction than what I had plannedJ  I am usually forced to go with the flow. My characters seriously have a mind of their own and I’m only along for the ride.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Melissa:  I really want to say thank you to my readers and the friends, family, and authors who find time and energy to support me. I’m inspired daily by Facebook posts, Tweets, and other ways that people reach out. I’m honored to write for each of them.

LIGHTNINIG ROUND

Favorite Food: Hands down, mint chocolate chip ice cream from Baskin and Robbins

Favorite Dessert: Tiramisu

Favorite Movie: That’s a tough one. Mama Mia and Dirty Dancing (a tie)

Favorite TV Show: I only watch TV out of duress (would rather be writing)

Milk or Dark Chocolate: MILK!!!

Favorite character (male & female) not written by you: I have so many, but tonight I feel like it’s Susie Salmon from The Lovely Bones. I read it years ago and she’s still with me.

TRC: Thank you, Melissa for answering our questions. We look forward to continuing to read your books, and to work with you again in the future.

Melissa:  Thank you for sharing your virtual space with me! I look forward to chatting with your readers and here’s to a long friendship xox

Giveaway

Melissa has graciously offered to give two members of The Reading Café an e-copy of her recent release, Come Back to Me.

TRC Note: For those of you who are not picked as winners, you still have a wonderful opportunity to buy Come Back to Me at a special price of $.99 from September 9 – 14

1.  Please register using the Log-In at the top of the page, or by using one of our social log-ins.

2.  If you are using a social log-in e.g. Twitter, please leave your email address along with your comment.

3.  Giveaway open US only.

4.  Contests runs from august September 9 to September 12, 2013

 

Share

An Interview with Maree Anderson

Posted on by
23

An Interview with Maree Anderson

mariee anderson

The Reading Cafe is happy to welcome Maree Anderson. Last month, Maree released Liminal,her first book in her new Liminals series.

She is here to discuss her new release, as well as what else we may have to look forward to in 2013/2014

Let’s meet Maree

 

 

TRC: Hi Maree, welcome to The Reading Café. Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions today. We are always looking forward to reading about the author behind the book.

Maree: Hey! *waves from New Zealand* Thank you so much for inviting me here. (And I hope the author behind the book isn’t too scary for your readers!)

TRC: Please tell us about yourself.

Maree: I’m a Kiwi — a New Zealander, and I’ve been a full-time writer for a few years… which means that because the room that I’ve taken over as my office is right off my bedroom, I often get to “go to work” in my pjs… and occasionally scare courier drivers needing a signature on their delivery into lifelong therapy. (It’s not a pretty sight when my non-scruffy pjs are in the washing basket.)

I’m an avid reader of romance — paranormal, fantasy, sci-fi, historicals, contemporary, YA… you name it. And I generally read around 15-20 books a month. My bookcases are overflowing. My desk has teetering piles of TBRs. I love my Kindle and my iPhone because now I’m never stuck without a book no matter where I happen to be. Bliss! And when I’m not reading or writing, I try to get to a karate or dance class.

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

Maree: I wish I could say writing has always been my passion, but I was a late starter. And I confess to being the teensiest bit envious of people who know what they want to do from an early age and go for it. You guys are really lucky!

I hadn’t a clue what I ultimately wanted to do when I quit work to become a full-time mom. The idea was to go back to part-time work once my youngest started school and about a year out I started to panic; over the years I’d had a series of meh jobs that I’d never enjoyed, and in a year’s time I’d be jumping on that treadmill again? Wasn’t a good feeling. I figured it was my last chance to try something “out there” rather than playing it safe. So I came up with the bright idea of writing a book… as you do. *shakes head in mock despair at her cluelessness*

I was reading a lot of Marian Keyes at the time — Sushi For Beginners remains one of my many all-time favorite books — so I figured I’d try writing something angsty but still with elements of humor. Man. Did those two pages suck the big kumara. (Translation: they were really really bad.) So I brooded for a bit. And then re-read one of my favorite series (The Gap Sequence by Stephen Donaldson), got smacked upside the head with a totally unrelated idea for a story, started dreaming about the darn heroine, and finally gave in and sat down to write it. Nine months (and far too many words!) later, the first book of a fantasy trilogy was born…

…and that might have been that, except for a chance conversation with a guy at a restaurant, who asked what scared me about taking the next step. Which resulted in some Googling that led me to join Romance Writers of New Zealand so I could enter the story in the RWNZ Clendon Award. To my surprise, my story finalled, and I was hooked.

TRC: What are the challenges or difficulties that you found in your writing career?

Maree: (Warning: Painful Honesty Ahoy!) Despite a number of my unpublished manuscripts doing well in the contest circuit, I’ve struggled with believing that me and my stories are “good enough”.

I guess a large part of it stems from the fact I’ve always set writing challenges for myself, and tried new things. Perhaps if I’d stuck with one genre and style of story, I would have been able to track the improvement from manuscript to manuscript and felt proud of my accomplishments. Instead, I’d straight away write something new, enter it in a contest for feedback, query it around for a bit, and get started on the next book/challenge. I never took time out to truly appreciate how far I’d come. (Note to family and friends of writers: please keep reminding the writers in your lives to celebrate each milestone — even if it’s just by prying them away from their computer for a celebratory coffee.)

And even after I was picked up by Red Sage Publishing and started working with editors who really loved my “voice” and believed in my stories, I still struggled with self-belief. (Along with the fact that although I enjoyed writing erotic romance, I didn’t want to only write erotic romance… and it was a bit tiresome being introduced as “This is Maree. She writes porn.” Sheesh. *rolls eyes*)

It’s only recently I’ve finally let go of my need for the validation I thought I’d get by doing things the “proper” way (i.e. write a book, query ‘til the cows come home, get an agent, etc.) I’ve discovered I can just write the stories I love, and readers will somehow find my books. I’m even getting fan-mail, which just blows my mind! So I’m proud that I stuck with it and didn’t toss in the towel no matter how hard it got — not that my DH would have let me. He reckons no way would he let all that suffering and angst I’ve put him through be for nothing 🙂

LiminalTRC: You released a new series in late July, can you please tell us the premise of LIMINAL, which is your first book in this YA series?  Also, how many books are you planning for this series?

Links to order Liminal: 
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

Maree: The idea for Liminal was conceived while reading Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series. I read the word “liminal” and my mind just went into overdrive. Simply put, “liminal” is an intermediate state or phase or condition; a threshold or transitional state. And it got me thinking about how people sometimes feel invisible — you know, like when you’re in the middle of speaking and someone just talks right over you like you aren’t even there?

And next thing I’d come up with Wren, a sixteen-year-old girl who feels like she’s invisible, and then discovers that often she really is invisible. Worse, whenever she reappears, people seem to have forgotten who she is. And then she meets Kade, and finds out she’s a lim — a liminal, who can phase in and out of the real world. Which sounds like a cool trick, but turns out to be really, really complicated.

To answer the dreaded “How many books are you planning?”question: Although I’ve embraced the joy of outlining, I haven’t gotten so far as to plan out how many books I intend to write in a series. I have an end in sight for Wren and Kade, and I’ll work toward that end with however many books it takes. That said, I have the greatest respect for authors who tie up a series and don’t keep it going just for the sake of it. Some of my all-time favorite series have been complete after anywhere between three and six books (Curse Workers series by Holly Black, Dante Valentine series and Jill Kismet series by Lilith Saintcrow, Karen Moning’s Fever series). So at this stage, I’m guessing at least three books? But we’ll see. Wren and Kade might throw me a curve-ball.

The Seers HopeTRC: In March of this year, you released all three books in your Seer’s Hope series.  Please give us a brief description of this series.

Maree: Seer’s Hope is the final incarnation of the very first book I ever wrote. It’s about Hope, a young blind woman who’s snatched from her safe, comfortable life and dumped in a primitive world of capricious gods and magic. Upon arrival she’s transformed—her eyes turn gold. And the people she encounters get one look at her golden eyes and believe she’s a Seer with awesome powers at her command. Of course Hope she doesn’t believe any of this until she comes face to face with undeniable evidence that she’s destined to save an entire race of people from a living death. And she’s terrified she may not learn to harness her powers in time to save those she’s grown to love.

I describe The Seer Trilogy as “fantasy with romantic elements”. The second book, Seer’s Promise, centers around Hope and Blayne’s daughter, Romana. And the third book, Seer’s Choice, around their only surviving son, Ryley. But Hope’s journey spans all three books, so it’s a while before she gets her (well-deserved!) happy ever after. Seer’s Hope is currently free at a bunch of e-tailers, and I’ve also published an eBook bundle of the entire trilogy.

the-crystal-warrior-TRC: Also in March, you release your other series, The Crystal Warriors.  Can you tell us the premise of this series? We also see on your website that you will be writing the 4th book in this series soon.

Maree: I released a eBook bundle of the first three books in the Crystal Warriors series in March, but all three books were published individually prior to that, beginning with The Crystal Warrior and Ruby’s Dream (both released in 2011), and Jade’s Choice (2012).

The Crystal Warriors are men from another world sent to Earth centuries ago, and ordered to bring back women—a desperate attempt by their leaders to repopulate a dying world. Unfortunately the troop encountered Pieter, an old man who had the ear of a goddess and was determined to protect the women of his village. Pieter cursed the warriors to their namesake crystals, but because powerful magic always has a price, he became the Crystal Guardian, forced to watch over the imprisoned men until each warrior is given his chance at redemption. So the crystal warriors aren’t the only ones being punished!

The series can be read out of order as each book stands alone and features a different crystal warrior. But I’d recommend they be read in order for the recurring characters and the little snippets that reveal more about the origins of the crystal warriors as a whole. (The Crystal Warrior is currently free at a bunch of places if anyone would like to check it out.)

Freaks of Greenfield HighTRC: You won a number of awards for your Freaks of Greenfield High series.  We also see on your website that this series has been optioned for TV.  What can you tell us about the premise of this book, and the status of the TV show?

Maree: The heroine of Freaks of Greenfield High is Jay, a cyborg who looks just like a teenage girl. Her creator has been killed and she’s on the run from a covert organization that plans to use her as a weapon. When she hides out at a small-town high school, things don’t go to plan because it turns out she’s evolving and experiencing emotions for the very first time. And then she encounters disgraced ex-jock, Tyler, and her logical brain goes completely haywire. That’s when everything starts to get really complicated.

Freaks was my first YA, and a really fun book to write. Amazingly it’s proven popular with its target audience as well as adults—men and women, alike. In fact I’ve even gotten fan-mail from guys who loved it, and tell me a certain scene makes them cry—doesn’t get better than that for a writer J. It was feedback from those readers that inspired me to write a sequel, Freaks in the City, which I published in August last year.

As for the TV thing: Freaks of Greenfield High was discovered by the executive of a Canadian production company, and they optioned the TV rights last year. The option has just been renewed, so we’re all hopeful they can find funding to take the project to the next stage. I’ve had heaps of readers tell me they’d love to see Jay kick butt on the small screen. She’s described as “funny” – which is entirely unintentional on Jay’s part! – and “badass”. I think Jay would appreciate the last part, at least 😉 And I’d love to see characters I’ve created on TV — that’s total dream-come-true material 🙂

TRC: You write in a number of genres, such as YA, Paranormal, Romance and Fantasy.  Do you have a preference as to which genre you enjoy writing the most?  Do you find it difficult when switching between genres?

Maree: Great question! I don’t have a preference, perhaps because regardless of sub-genre, each of my stories features a romance and an element of the magical. (I once tried to write a straight contemporary story… but it ended up being a humorous erotic romance with a heroine who had no clue she was a part-time cat-shifter, and became Kat On A Hot Tin Roof  in Red Sage’s Secrets Volume 30 anthology. So I give up!)

The only real thing I have to be hyper-aware of is the age-appropriateness of the main character(s) and the heat level of any romantic scenes depending on whether I’m writing for the adult or YA market. Honestly? I adore being able to write about a teen’s first love, and then change it up with an experienced alpha hero determinedly pursuing his bond-mate with seduction on his mind. I couldn’t ask for a better job than this.

TRC: What are you currently working on?

Maree: I’m currently working on the fourth crystal warriors book, Opal’s Wish. It features Danbur, and there’s a bit of a twist because Danbur’s chance at redemption depends on not only the heroine of the story, Opal, but Opal’s young daughter, Sera.

TRC: What is your writing process?  Do you have a favorite place or time you like to write?

Maree: I wave off my husband and kids each morning, and then grab breakfast and a coffee and a book. I read for about an hour, then head into my office. I clear my emails and deal with anything urgent, then I work steadily through the day (with a quick break to grab lunch), until it’s time to do the mom-taxi thing ferrying the kids all over the place for sports activities. I find my slow-cooker is a godsend, because I can chuck something in it at lunchtime, and forget about it until I hear the ominous sound of the garage door opening and realize, oh crap, my husband’s home and it’s gone seven! Lucky for us, he’s a great cook and he’ll pick up the slack if dinner has, uh, slipped my mind because I’m on a roll. J

I also tend to work weekends. It’s hard not to when the computer’s just there, and I have to pass my office to get downstairs….

TRC:  Is there a book or author that gave you the inspiration to write?

Maree: I’ve already mentioned that Stephen Donaldson’s The Gap Sequence gave me the inspiration for my first ever story, but it was Angela Knight who inspired me to write the erotic romance novella which led to my first publishing contract.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Maree: Nope! I think if your readers have gotten this far they already deserve a gold star *g*

LIGHTNING ROUND:

FAVORITE FOOD:  Anything chocolate

FAVORITE DESSERT: Any dessert I didn’t have to bake or cook

MILK OR DARK CHOCOLATE: Both!

FAVORITE LITERARY CHARACTER (not your own): Raphael from Nalini Singh’s Guild Hunter series – dark and dangerous and OMG-sexy angel… *fans herself wildly*

FAVORITE TV SHOW:  Supernatural

LAST MOVIE YOU SAW: Loopers (DVD), Fast and Furious 6 (at the movies)

TRC: Thank you, Maree for answering our questions. The Reading Café wishes you the best of luck with Liminal.

Maree: Thank you so much for your thought-provoking questions, and for letting me burble on about writing and my books!

If you want to learn more about Maree, you can find her at the following links:
Maree’s website: www.mareeanderson.com
Maree’s Books: www.mareeanderson.com/books
Liminal: www.liminalbook.com
The Crystal Warrior: www.thecrystalwarrior.com
Freaks of Greenfield High: www.freaksofgreenfieldhigh.com

.

Share

An Interview and Giveaway with Rebecca York

Posted on by
18

An Interview and Giveaway with Rebecca York

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The Reading Cafe is happy to welcome Rebecca York as our guest today.  Rebecca has just released, Bad Nights, the first book in her new, Rockfort Security series.

She is here today to discuss her new book, and to tell us a little bit about  herself.

Let’s meet Rebecca.

 

 

 

Interview

TRC: Hi Rebecca.  Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions today.

We are always looking forward to reading about the author behind the book; it is a pleasure to have you here at The Reading Café.

Rebecca: I’m excited to be here.

TRC: Would you please tell us about yourself?

Rebecca: I had kind of a rocky start in school because I’m dyslexic and couldn’t read or spell very well.  In fifth grade something clicked in my brain, and I finally “got” reading.  Spelling, not so much.  I always loved making up stories, but I thought I couldn’t be a writer because of the spelling problem.  However, my husband encouraged me to give it a try and said he’d proofread my work.  I started writing news and feature stories for a local paper and gradually slopped into books.  I spend most of my day in front of the computer, and I even manage to work when we’re traveling.

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

Rebecca:  I always thought up stories, which I acted out with my doll, but I didn’t start writing until I was a stay-at-home mom with two toddlers.  Writing newspaper articles was something I could do in short spurts between all my other obligations.  I took a seminar at my local community college where people came and read what they were working on.  Sitting and listening to some people read chapters of their novels, made me want to write one of my own.  I had always read fantasy and science fiction as a kid, so I started in that genre.  And I decided to try a children’s book because I knew that would be shorter than an adult novel.  It was Invasion of the Blue Lights, and I sold it to Scholastic.  Recently I reprinted it as an e-book on Amazon.

TRC: You just released your first book in your Rockfort Security Series, Bad Nights.  Can you please tell us the premise of Rockfort Security?  How did you come up with the idea of this series, and how many books are you planning for this series?

Rebecca:  I wanted to do a romantic suspense series focused on the men working for a detective agency and the women who come to love them.  Each hero stars in his own story and appears in the other books to keep the continuity going.  In each novel, the hero of the next book will play a strong secondary role, so that the reader is drawn into the Rockfort community.

All the Rockfort agents are strong, sexy alpha males, formerly in the military or the police.  Each is fighting emotional wounds that only a loving relationship with the right woman can heal.  Each story focuses on how these men learn to let down their guard with a woman who comes to mean more to them than they thought possible.

The agents are:

Jack Brandt, former Navy Seal

Shane Gallagher, former Army MP

Max Lyon, former police detective

The men met when they were swept up in the raid of a Miami nightclub.  They spent the night keeping order among a bunch of tough, dangerous guys in a police holding cell.  When they were released in the morning, they went out for beers and got to talking—and ended up forming the Rockfort Security Agency.

Each book capitalizes on the special talents and background of the hero.  How many books?  Of course I’m hoping that Sourcebooks will want more after the initial three, but we’ll have to see how they do!

Bad NightsTRC: Can you please give us a description about Bad Nights, which was released a couple of days ago? 

Rebecca: This is the story of Jack Brandt and Morgan Rains.  He’s a former Navy SEAL who feels guilty that he was the only man who came back from a mission in Afghanistan.  She’s a widow who can’t imagine falling in love again.  They never would have met if Jack hadn’t escaped from the militia compound where he was being tortured to make him tell who sent him to infiltrate the organization.  He makes it to Morgan’s isolated mountain cabin where she finds him stumbling around naked in the woods.  She takes him in and treats his wounds, but the militia track him to her cabin, and they barely escape with their lives. On the run, they get to know each other a whole lot better.  But can these two people who are so different forge a relationship?  And can Jack and partners save Morgan’s life when the militia leader captures her and gives him twenty-four hours to trade himself for her?

TRC: You also write a series of novellas: A Fantasy & Futuristic Short Story.  Can you tell us a little about this series?

Rebecca: My first passion was science fiction and fantasy, and this series is giving me a chance to write in that genre.  But since I love romance, all of the books are relationship stories.  The first two, Conquest and Hero’s Welcome, deal with men and women from different species falling in love and working out their complicated relationships.

In the third story, I’m having fun writing a guy who’s tough and effective, and also a virgin.  When all-male plague survivors landed on the planet Palomar, no one knew if humans could thrive in the hostile environment. Now it’s twenty years later, and the planetary authority has finally authorized a shipment of brides. Homesteader Caleb Raider has won a wife in the lottery, but he hasn’t seen a woman since childhood—except in a porn vid. His new wife, Beka Gunnarson, knows he’s a virgin. What’s the best way to introduce him to the pleasures of married love, while hiding the secret she thinks will destroy their new relationship? And is she up to living on a nearly lawless planet where savage wildlife roams?  I’m almost finished with this novella and hope to have it out in October.  And I think I will be setting more stories on the planet Palomar.

TRC: You write a few different genres, such as Romance Suspense, Paranormal, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy.  Do you have a preference?  How challenging is it to switch gears when writing another genre?

Rebecca:  I feel sorry for people who are forced by their publishers to write only one kind of book.  I love getting to switch from romantic suspense to paranormal to science fiction.  And I don’t have any trouble doing it.  But I do think the core of my writing is “men and women falling in love against a backdrop of suspense and danger.”

TRC: Would you like to share with us on what else you have planned in 2013/2014?

Rebecca:  I’m currently finishing up the second book in the Rockfort Security Series, Betrayed, which will be out next spring.  It’s Shane Gallagher’s story, and I’m enjoying writing about him and Elena Reyes.  Shane’s working undercover trying to discover who’s stealing company secrets from S&D Systems, and Elena’s his prime suspect; yet at the same time, he’s attracted to her. As I said, I’m also getting Nightfall ready.  And I have two Harlequin Intrigues scheduled for March and April, Bride’s Jeopardy and Urgent.  Both are paranormal romantic suspense, part of my sexually-linked telepaths series, Mindbenders.

TRC: What is your writing process?  Do you have a favorite place or time you like to write?

Rebecca:  I always work on a laptop, and I move around the house frequently.  Right now I’m on the screened porch (or the “catio”) with one of my three cats.  I also like working in the sunroom with my orchids for inspiration and the bedroom, which I’ve decorated like a beach cottage.   I don’t feel comfortable writing a book unless I have a pretty complete outline.  After I know the story, I start writing and get to know the characters better during the first few chapters.  I try to write ten pages a day, and I try to finish a book quickly and put it away while I work on something else.  When I come back to the original project, it’s like someone else wrote it, and I can be very objective about it.  I used to write slowly and then edit a lot.  I figured out I could write fast, then do the same amount of editing.  After I edit on screen, I always have to print out a book so I can see it on paper—where it always looks different.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Rebecca:  I’d like to die at my computer, still working.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food:   Soup (many kinds: Lobster Bisque, Split Pea, Cauliflower and Cheese, Sweet Potato and Peanut).  I often start a pot of soup in the afternoon while I’m working.

Favorite Dessert:  Chocolate soda with vanilla ice cream.  (We always have this on New Year’s Eve.)

Favorite Author: I can’t pick just one.  I like Ken Follett, Clive Cussler, Terry Pratchett

Favorite Movie:  Star Man.  It’s just my kind of thing: paranormal romantic suspense

Favorite TV Show:  The Sopranos

Milk or Dark Chocolate:  Dark

Favorite character (male & female) not written by you:  Michael Gallatin from The Wolf’s Hour, by Robert McCammon.  Women characters don’t stick with me as long as the guys.  I guess a recent woman I’ve liked a lot is Juliette in Hugh Howey’s Wool.

TRC: Thank you, Rebecca, for giving us an update on Bad Nights, as well as what we can look forward to in the future.   It was a pleasure having you visit us, and we hope to do this again in the future.

Rebecca: Thank you for interviewing me.

 

Bad Nights
By Rebecca York
Book #1 – Rockfort Security
Release Date: September 3,.2013

Bad NightsLinks to order Bad Nights: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Rebecca York’s newest series will keep you on the edge of your seat

When Professor Morgan Rains goes out to investigate a strange sound coming from her backyard, the last thing she expects to see is a naked man covered with burns and bruises. Jack Brandt is a former Navy SEAL on an undercover mission, and he’s barely managed to escape from a terrorist militia’s torture. Jack and Morgan are thrown into a pressure cooker of danger and intrigue, and they soon find themselves falling in love. When Morgan is captured by the terrorists, Jack must rescue the woman whose life now means more to him than his own.

 

About the author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Rebecca York’s writing has been compared to Dick Francis, Sherrilyn Kenyon and Maggie Shayne. Her books have been translated into twenty-two languages and optioned for film. She lives in Maryland, near Washington, D.C., which is often the setting of her romantic suspense novels. Rebecca’s next romantic suspense novel from Sourcebooks Casablanca, Betrayed, will be in stores in July 2014. For more information, please visit http://rebeccayork.com/, Facebook. Twitter, Goodreads



giveaway

Rebecca and her publisher, Sourcebooks have graciously offered one lucky member of The Reading Cafe a copy of her new release, Bad Nights.

1.  You must be a member at The Reading Cafe. If you are not a member, please register using the Log-In at the top of the page, or by using one of our social log-ins.

2.  If you are using a social log-in e.g. Twitter, please leave your email address along with your comment.

3.  Giveaway open  US & Canada Only

4.  Contests runs from September 5 to September 8, 2013

Share

Catching Up With Melissa West

Posted on by
10

Catching Up With Melissa West

MelissaWest

 

The Reading Cafe is happy to welcome back Melissa West. Melissa is here today to discuss her new release, Hover. She will also tell us what she has in store for us in 2013/2014.

Let’s talk to Melissa.

 

 

 

Interview-REDTRC: Hi, Melissa.  Thank you for taking the time to visit us again at The Reading Cafe, to discuss your new release “Hover”, as well as to talk about what you have planned in 2014.

Melissa: Thank you for having me!

TRC: You have just released Hover, which is the 2nd book in you’re The Taking series.  For those who may not have read this series, would you please give us a brief description of the premise of the series?

Melissa: In the future, an alien race known as the Ancients has helped Earth terraform itself back to health with one condition—they coexistence with humans, sharing the planet. But now that the time has come for coexistence, the humans want out of the treaty, which, of course, has sparked a war.

HoverTRC:  Will you please tell us a bit about Hover, which was released a few days ago?

Melissa:  HOVER is the boiling point of the series. In GRAVITY, the start of the series, the water was just beginning to sizzle. Now in HOVER, everything is coming to a head. Tension is high. Action is high. And in COLLIDE, the water is going to boil over. I think fans of the series will enjoy the rush that is HOVER and will be eager for COLLIDE, which, to me, is the best book of the series.


Links to order Hover:
 Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository

TRC: What can you tell us about the 3rd book in the series, Collide?  Is this the last book in this series?

Melissa: We are talking about doing a prequel, which will tell the story of events that led up to GRAVITY. But in a word, COLLIDE is the war.

TRC: You have a new book called Broken Winter.  Can you tell us anything about it, and when do you anticipate the release date?

Melissa:  🙂 I hadn’t realized BROKEN WINTER was known to the world. LOL! I am not able to discuss details of that project just yet, but soon. 🙂

TRC:  Maybe when we like an author we do good research. lol

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

Melissa: I am currently working on a lot of projects. I feel a little overwhelmed! 🙂 I am working on COLLIDE, BROKEN WINTER, and another YA series that I am super excited about. 2014 is going to be a fun year!

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Melissa: I would like to add that readers are going to feel shocked when they finish HOVER. Hang with me. It will all make sense in the end. 🙂

TRC:  You are right.  As I kept reading, I suspected something would happen, but what an ending.  🙂

TRC: Thank you, Melissa for giving us an update on Hover, as well as what we can look forward to in the future.  It was a pleasure talking with you again.  We hope to catch up again in the future.

Melissa: Thank you so much, Barb! Always a pleasure!

If you would like to learn more about Melissa, you can find her at the following links:

Website: http://www.melissawestauthor.com/
Blog: http://m-b-west.blogspot.com/
Twitter:
Facebook:
Goodreads:

 

 

Share