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An Interview with Christine O’Neil

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An Interview with Christine O’Neil

 

Christine Bell
The Reading Cafe is happy to welcome Christine O’Neil as our guest today.

Chrstine is here today to discuss her new YA book, Chaos, which will be released tomorrow.  Christine also writes as Christine Bell, whom we have had the pleasure of doing reviews on her wonderful romance books.

But today Christine will talk about her first foray into writing her new YA series, as Christine O’Neil. Let’s meet Christine.

 

 

TRC: Hi Christine and welcome to The Reading Café.  We would like to start with some background information.

Christine: Hello, and thanks for having me!  

TRC: Please tell us something about yourself.

Christine: Let’s see, I live in Pennsylvania with my husband, kids and two dogs, and I write full time which is excellent, because it means I get to wear yoga pants to work and eat handfuls of goldfish crackers for lunch and no one can judge me. I am a total geek and love to read fantasy and science fiction novels, especially YA. I love playing poker and going to the movies, and I’m obsessed with Game of Thrones, Firefly, Doctor Who (Team Tennant!), Supernatural and Sherlock. My favorite villain of all time is Severus Snape. My favorite hero of all time is also Severus Snape.  

TRC: Have you always been interested in writing?

Christine: I’ve always been interested in reading, and, while I did write some before college, it was something I thought everyone had the ability to do and wasn’t something I ever thought of as a career. It wasn’t until my second time around in college as an adult that I fell in love with it and was encouraged by my professors to do more.

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

Christine: Keeping up with the ideas. I have a thousand half-baked stories teaming in my brain like wriggly little worms and part of my job is picking out the fattest worm and ignoring all the rest until I get one story on the page. Luckily, I write fast, but it’s always a challenge to focus in and get the job done without allowing myself to be distracted.

TRC: What was your first book published?  Can you tell us your reaction to seeing your first book published?

Christine: My first book was actually a steampunk novella called The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale. I’ve written over twenty novellas and novels since, and that book is still one of my favorites. Seeing your name on the cover of a book is so surreal. Like a dream come true. Totally exhilarating and I will never forget it. It was when I knew I’d found what I was always meant to do.

ChaosTRC: Can you please tell us the premise of your new YA novel, Chaos.  Is Chaos a standalone book, or a series.  If a series, how many books do you anticipate.

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

Christine: Well, Chaos is book one of the Kardia Chronicles series, which is anticipated to be three-books. It’s about a girl names Maggie Raynard who has found out that she’s a semi-god (so like a demigod, only more diluted because it’s generations away rather than the child of a god directly) descended from the goddess Aphrodite. She’s having a rough time of it, because her new powers have caused her to do some very bad things. Her mom has written off the semi life all together and won’t help and there’s this new guy at school, Mac Finnegan, who keeps messing with her and she doesn’t know why.
Here’s the blurb:

My name is Maggie Raynard. After sixteen years being just plain me, suddenly, when I lose my temper, my fingers become weapons of mass destruction. Turns out I’m a semi-god, descended from Aphrodite. Sounds cool in theory, but when I accidentally put my ex-boyfriend in a coma, things go downhill pretty fast.

Now some new guy named Mac Finnegan has made it his mission in life to continually piss me off. I’m stuck learning how to use my new powers while also dealing with regular high school problems, and with this annoying–and super hot—guy all up in my business, I’m about to flip out.

But it gets worse. I just learned there’s this watchdog council of semis who keep an eye out for any bad apples. They think I’m the baddest one in the bunch and want to take me out before I do any more damage. My nemesis Mac might turn out to be my salvation, only he’s got secrets of his own…and they may just kill us both.

TRC: Chaos is your first Young Adult novel.  Can you please tell us how you decided to go from writing mostly Romance, to writing YA?

Christine: It was always part of the plan. The first idea I had for a book was a YA novella, but I shelved it when I realized that I would need an agent to sell YA (at that time, at least. My current publisher, Entangled, accepts unagented YA submissions, but a few years back, pretty much the only houses accepting direct submissions were adult romance publishers). I was in my mid-thirties, and felt that it was better for me to skip the agenting process due to the time involved in landing an agent, and try my hand at smaller, digital publishing houses so I could get things moving as quickly as possible. I had always loved reading adult romance, so it was certainly no hardship. My five year plan was to write adult romance and then, once I’d established myself, I would take the time out to write a YA novel. Life has a way of throwing you curveballs when you least expect it and, three and a half years later, this amazing opportunity came my way to collaborate on this series with my Entangled publisher, Liz Pelletier, I grabbed it with both hands (and feet…and prehensile tail). One thing that made the transition easier for me was the fact that, at the heart of it, Chaos is a love story as well. It just also has fantastical world-building and the extra snark that I always enjoy reading in a YA book and don’t get to do as much of in Contemporary Adult Romance.

TRC: You write Contemporary, Erotic Romance, and now YA.  Do you have a preference?

Christine: I think it depends on the day. Sometimes it depends on the season or what’s happening in my life. I just love writing. I will say that I’ve never felt so at home and comfy in my writing shoes as I did with this book. I have been an avid reader of YA my whole life from the time I was a kid to when I worked at a middle school library a few years back, and I’ve never stopped loving it. There’s a magic to it that appeals to me so much and I feel like a kid myself when I’m writing it. I’m thrilled to be stepping into this new chapter in my career and hope people like reading it even half as much as I’ve loved writing it.

TRC: Can you please tell us what you are currently working on, as well as what you have upcoming in 2013?

Christine: I’m working on book two of the Kardia Chronicles which is slated for later this year, as well as edits for my next Entangled Brazen book. The rest of 2013 is really popping for me with a September release called Dirty Trick, a holiday novella that I co-wrote with author Riley Murphy called Full of Possibilities and then another novella from my Dare Me series called Down the Aisle.

TRC: Being a prolific writer, how do you come up with the ideas for your books?   Does it come to you in a dream, watching a television show or movie, or from real life?

Christine: Mostly real life. If you hang around me, you might as well know it off that bat, SOME part of you is going to end up in my book. I can’t help myself. I love people watching. We’re SOOOO weird and all the weird things we do that are so specific to one person really catch my interest because it’s exactly those things that make for a relatable character rather than cardboard cutouts that feel generic in a book.

For example, one of the secondary characters in Chaos is a sixteen year old named Libby. She’s a classic American beauty and everyone thinks by looking at her that she’s a cheerleader, but she’s actually a drama geek who looks at clothing as an opportunity to play a role for the day. She’s always pairing weird outfits together that are all just a little off for the occasion. She’ll have her hair up in chopsticks and wear a fluttery skirt with ballet flats to school, or a steampunk outfit to prom. Part of that idea came from my future daughter in law, who’s question before every event is “Can I wear THIS?” as she holds up what looks like a dress for a pageant or something from the Victorian era. She loves to dress up so I sorta filched that part of her personality and adapted it to fit my character.  I do it CONSTANTLY.

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

Christine: *snort* The word process is so funny for what I “have”. Mainly, I sit in a room on a recliner with a laptop on my thighs for ten hours a day (except for when I shift it to the side for a while after it gets too hot). To start off my day, I surf the web for all the important things, like “What ever happened to Vanilla Ice?” and then I go on Twitter and see what my tweeps are up to. Usually, there’s talk of food, shooz, and writing (my favorite things), so I stick in for a while and get the scoop. Then I feel guilty for frittering (isn’t that a good word? Frittering. It makes me want to sprinkle powdered sugar on it and eat it) away the first hour of the day, so I guilt myself into writing some words. This is where it gets good. It’s like I get caught up in a weird sort of haze of furious typing and find myself hungry three hours later with no recollection of where I’ve been or any concept of time and voila! Words on the page. I hop up feeling good about myself, clomp into the kitchen, paw through the fridge like a mad bear looking for any food that doesn’t require fire, peeling, chopping or opening, and I shove fistfuls of it into my gaping maw. After that, I pour some coffee and go back to more writing. Then, at about a quarter to four, I jump up in horror when I realize my husband will be home soon, and I quick make dinner, check my shirt for any egregious stains, brush my teeth and sometimes even my hair and pretend that I looked that good all day. Lather, rinse repeat. WARNING: If you become an author someday too, do NOT expect your life to be this glamorous. Not everyone can be as fancy as me and I don’t want you disappointed.

TRC: Do you have a favorite female and male character from your books, if so why?

Christine: ACK! This is like Sophie’s Choice. Um, let’s see. Okay, so for my adult novels, it’s a toss up between Lindy Knight from Wife for Hire and Stormy Gale from the Stormy Gale series. Lindy  was so hilarious and sweet. I loved her like she was a real person, but Stormy is my idol. She’s everything I want to be.  A cool, witty, funny, smart, sexy, tough as nails, fiercely loyal steampunk time pirate. I’ll pick Stormy. For guys, I’m going to have to go with Galen Thomas in Down for the Count. Sexy boxer, loves his woman, smart and funny. Love me some Galen.

For YA, it’s all about my protagonist in Chaos, Maggie Raynard. She’s excellent and if she were real, we would have been besties in high school. She’s dry and sarcastic and funny, but also flawed and confused and afraid because she’s got some serious stuff going on in her life and she is having trouble figuring out how to handle it. She’s juicy and deep and I felt very close to her when I was writing, to the point that there were times where I could almost hear her snort like, “Dude, I would NEVER say that. Delete.”

TRC: Many author bounce ideas and information between each other and their family and spouses.  With whom do you bounce ideas?

Christine: Anybody who will listen! No, but seriously, I talk to my husband a LOT, my kids all the time too, especially about world building elements. We have a big family, there are 7 of us in the house, and we are all pretty much geeks (see attached photos for evidence of our celebratory cakes and our CominCon costumes) so I have the benefit of a huge base of fantasy, paranormal and science fiction knowledge at my fingertips. They are so awesome in helping me brainstorm and problem solve. Especially with trickier elements like time travel or the way magic powers work etc. We are also a family of readers, so if I tell my kids an idea, a lot of times they can be like, “Wait, I think I read something similar in XYZ series,” which is priceless to me. I want to be as original as I can and that’s not always easy due to the sheer volume of books out there and the fact that, in fantasy and paranormal, oftentimes we’re all drawing from the same lore, myth, pool of knowledge. I think the key is taking something that everyone is familiar with and then trying to turn it on its ear a little. I can’t re-write mythology, but I can twist it mercilessly until it feels somewhat fresh and new again.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Christine: I’m terrible at adding. Don’t make me do math. That’s why I do words.

TRC:  LOL

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food: Lobster

Favorite Dessert: Salted Carmel Chocolate Mousse *drools*

Favorite TV show: ACK! Sherlock. Wait! Luther. No…Game of Thrones. NO! Sherlock. *nods* It’s Sherlock.

Favorite Movie: Stardust (based on the Neil Gaiman book). Most of the time. Then Ghosttown some of the time. And Cabin in the Woods. And the new Star Trek movie. And Seven Psychopaths. ACK! I love movies, so this is reallllly hard.

Dark or Milk Chocolate: I KNOW THIS ONE! THE ANSWER IS MILK! Definitely milk.

Favorite Literary Character (male & female) not your own: Severus Snape from Harry Potter and Holly Root from the Artemis Fowl series.

Christine, thank you very much for taking the time to answer our questions.  The Reading Café wishes you good luck with Chaos.

To learn more about Christine, you can find her at the following links:
Christine O’Neil
Website:
Twitter:
Facebook:
Goodreads:

Christine Bell
Twitter:
Facebook:
Goodreads

 

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Personal Assets by Kelsey Browning-Interview, Blog Tour and Giveaway

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Personal Asset by Kelsey Browning-Interview, Blog Tour and Giveaway

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INTERVIEW with Kelsey Browning

Kelsey Browning writes sass kickin’ love stories full of hot heroes, saucy heroines and spicy romance. Originally from a Texas town smaller than the ones she writes about, Kelsey has also lived in the Middle East and Los Angeles, proving she’s either adventurous or downright nuts. These days, she hangs out in northeast Georgia with Tech Guy, Smarty Boy, Bad Dog and Pharaoh, a Canine Companions for Independence puppy. She’s currently at work on the next book in her Texas Nights series and The Granny Series. Give her a shout at Kelsey@KelseyBrowning.com or drop by www.KelseyBrowning.com. For info on her upcoming releases, subscribe to her Sass Kickin’ News.

Interview-RED

TRC: Hi Kelsey and welcome to The Reading Café. Congratulations on the release of PERSONAL ASSETS.

Kelsey: Thanks so much for having me!

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

Kelsey BrowningKelsey: Oh, that’s an open invitation for a girl from Texas who can talk your ear off. I’m a Virgo, have a psychological allergy to green peas and am raising a puppy for Canine Companions for Independence. (How’s that for brevity and sneaking in more than one thing??)

TRC: Your bio states that you have travelled all over the world. Which destination was your favorite ? Which destination was the least attractive or favorite? Why?

Kelsey: Wow – tough question. I tell people the most beautiful place I never knew I wanted to visit is Sri Lanka. The people are incredibly friendly and their country is gorgeous even after the tsunami in 2005. Last summer, we stayed at a guesthouse in Arugam Bay that had been almost wiped out in the storm and then rebuilt after.

Least favorite…probably Kuwait City. We were living in the Middle East at the time and Kuwait City was an even more even more stark landscape than the city where we lived. While in KC, we stayed in a hotel that had been completely bombed out in the first Gulf War. They had a glass case that held a huge shell casing, a melted telephone and other evidence of the bombing. Interesting, but eerie. Very eerie.

TRC: PERSONAL ASSETS is your latest release. Would you please tell us something about the book?

Personal AssetsKelsey: Personal Assets is a contemporary romance about a sex therapist who wants to shake things up around her small Texas town and a man who’s recently returned to his hometown to restore classic cars. Allie propositions Cameron to a no-strings affair, and he can’t believe the town’s princess would stoop to sleeping with the kid of the town drunk. But Allie is trying to find her inner bad girl, and in the process, finds love with a man who has to learn she doesn’t want him to take care of her.

TRC: How many books do you plan for the TEXAS NIGHTS series? Will any or all of the storyline characters interact with each successive novel?

Kelsey: There are four books in the Texas Nights series. I originally planned three, but a new heroine emerged from book two. Readers will be introduced to six of the main characters in Personal Assets. In Running the Red Light, readers will be introduced to Ashton Davenport and her hero. Of course, readers will see all the characters in each book, but the focus will be on the current hero and heroine. Readers can find out more about the other books in the Texas Nights series here.

TRC: What challenges or difficulties (e.g. logistical, research etc) did you encounter writing this particular storyline?

Kelsey: The biggest challenge I had at the time I first wrote Personal Assets (several years ago) was I was living out of the US in a Muslim country. If the country’s government considered a website too explicit, it would be blocked/censored from view. That sometimes made it hard to research sexual topics – LOL.

TRC: Are any of the characters or experiences based on events in real life? Or are they an amalgamation of many characters and your imagination?

Kelsey: Oh, I think our subconscious is always collecting and then developing characteristics based on what we’ve seen. We just don’t know it—and can’t always recognize it—on the surface. What I have found, however, is that my books have a common theme around reconciling yourself with home and homecoming. I’m originally from a small town in Texas and I have a real love/hate relationship with the place. I left for college when I was 18, and although I visited, I never lived there again. I think I’ve been trying to reconcile myself with my original home and my adult homes ever since.

TRC: If you could change something about yourself personal or professional, what would it be and why?

Kelsey: I’d wave a magic wand and give myself a big old helping of patience.

TRC: Who or what has been the biggest influence in your life and why?

Kelsey: Too many people to name, probably. But here are a few:
My mom – everything happens for a reason
My dad – you can do anything you want
My husband – always find a reason to say yes
My sister – we’re stronger than anyone can imagine

TRC: Is there a question that you would like to be asked in an interview, but nobody has asked? If so, ask away!

Kelsey: Yow – I used to ask this all the time when I interviewed people. It’s harder when it’s turned back on you. How about What did you love most about writing the Texas Nights series? Characters, characters, characters! I’m a totally character-driven writer. And shh…don’t tell anyone I said this, but secondary characters are often more fun to write than the hero and heroine because the author doesn’t have to be so darn careful with character arc and relationship arc. It’s easier to just let things fly with the secondaries!

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

Kelsey:
Write and publish another 25+ books
Live overseas again
See my son off into his own fabulous world
Become a better storyteller
Return to public speaking

TRC: What are your thoughts on book reviews-good or bad?

Kelsey: I think reviews allow authors to glean important tidbits about what readers love about their work. They can also discover what’s missing in their writing. But I think an author can’t take every word to heart. Not all books are made for all readers. I have to keep that in mind.

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

Kelsey: I have a plotting group—made up of authors Tracey Devlyn, Adrienne Giordano, and editor and all-around-girl-Friday, Theresa Stevens. I’d be lost without them. When I need technical help—like how to get out of a locked storage closet door—I go to my husband, who’s an engineer. He rocks at that kind of stuff.

TRC: If you could be a contestant on a television ‘reality’ program, which show would you like to be a participant and why?

Kelsey: Yikes, is there a reality show about drinking coffee and wearing PJ bottoms? If so, that’s the one I want. Don’t know that I could do it, but Tech Guy (my husband) and Smarty Boy (my son) have a yen to go on Survivor.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Kelsey: I’m currently working on edits for Problems in Paradise—the third book in the Texas Nights series, writing Designs to Die For (#4) and working on the release of In For a Penny, a humorous women’s fiction/cozy suspense I co-wrote with the amazing Nancy Naigle. It’s the first book in The Granny Series and will be out in November. Here’s the tagline, just to give readers a taste of that series: They’re just like Dirty Harry—only over 50, female and from the South!

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Kelsey: I love to hear from readers, so feel free to shoot me a note at Kelsey@KelseyBrowning.com!

LIGHTNING ROUND
Favorite Food – Is Chardonnay a food?
Favorite Dessert – Just one? Fine, tiramisu
Favorite TV Show – Castle
Last Movie You Saw – Despicable Me
Dark or Milk Chocolate – Dark. Oh, who am I kidding?? BOTH!

TRC: Thank you Kelsey for taking the time to answer our questions. We wish you all the best with PERSONAL ASSETS.

Kelsey: Thanks so much for y’all’s hospitality!

Sign Up for Kelsey’s Newsletter:


______________________________________________________________

Personal Assets
Texas Nights #1
by Kelsey Browning
Release Date: August 26, 2013

Personal Assets

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

Sex therapist Allie Shelby has the professional credentials, but she could use a bit more practical experience. Finding the right man to bring out her inner bad girl is tough in a population-challenged Texas town. So when sinfully sexy Cameron Wright rolls back into Shelbyville, Allie wastes no time inviting him to join her in some hands-on research.
But while her personal life heats up, Allie’s business is about to crash and burn. And she has to convince Cameron that she’s one princess who’s not looking for a prince to ride to her rescue.

giveaway

There are TWO ways to WIN with the PERSONAL ASSETS Blog Tour

Kelsey Browning - Wine CharmsKelsey is offering -1 set of Texas Themed Wine Charms- to one lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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

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

3. Giveaway is open to US and CANADA only

4. Giveaway runs from August 20 to September 1, 2013

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One lucky person will WIN a Bed Lounge Pillow (US only)

bedlounge pillow

NOTE: The Reading Cafe is NOT responsible for the Rafflecopter Giveaway. If you have any questions, please contact the tour promoter.

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Time Changes Everything by Melinda Dozier-A Review and Interview with the Author

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Time Changes Everything by Melinda Dozier-A Review and Interview with the Author

LEAD Technologies Inc. V1.01

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 2013

Amanda Larson is dedicated to her job and doesn’t want to make time for anything else. Until she runs into Jake Edwards. He used to be the cute boy next door; now he’s a sexy, big shot lawyer.

Jake Edwards isn’t interested in commitment. He’s successful, sexy, and single–and that’s how he likes it. When he reconnects with Amanda, Jake realizes he might have to rethink his philosophy on the carefree, bachelor lifestyle.

But, is it too late for them? Or can he convince her that he’s ready to give her his heart?

••••••••••••••

REVIEW:  Times Changes Everything is a great short story.  If you want a romantic story with a happy ending, this is the one for you.  Amanda is an on the rise fashion designer, living her own life and making her own way.  One night, she reunites with Jake, her high school crush.  Jake is a sexy hunk of a man who is a self proclaimed bachelor.  Once reunited, sparks fly and both are swept off their feet.  BUT Amanda is afraid of getting hurt.  Jake kissed her all those years ago then ran off, breaking her heart in the process.  She is scared of getting hurt again.  Plus she wants to focus 100% on her career and getting involved with Jake might derail her plans.   Bachelor Jake is shocked to realize that Amanda is the one he wants to spend the rest of his life with.  He sets out on a mission to win her heart and her love forever.

Don’t let my comment about the book being a “romantic story with a happy ending” leave you to believe the book is boring.  There is just the right mixture of passion, humor and sweetness to make the story a good one.  Amanda and Jake are the type of characters that we all love to read about.  It seems in real life, happy endings can be few and far between so it’s nice to escape into a book and read about one!

 

Copy supplied by the author
Reviewed by Tricia


Interview

melinda dozierTRC: Hi Melinda and welcome to The Reading Cafe. Congratulations on the release of TIME CHANGES EVERYTHING.

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

Melinda: First, thank you so much for hosting me at The Reading Cafe. It’s great to be here.

Being a mom, wife, teacher, blogger, writer and reader keeps me busy. I live in Central America with my family and teach at an American School. I love living overseas and experiencing the life and beauty of another country.

LEAD Technologies Inc. V1.01

 

TRC: TIME CHANGES EVERYTHING is your May 2013 release. Would you please tell us something about the premise?

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

Melinda: Time Changes Everything is a friends to lovers story. Jake and Amanda have known each other their whole lives. But when they run into one another in New York City, their teenage crushes turn into something much steamier and they soon realize time changes everything.

 

TRC: There is a prequel novella THE BOY NEXT DOOR-released April 2013. Would you please tell us something this storyline?

The Boy Next Door

 

Melinda: The Boy Next Door takes place seven years before Time Changes Everything when Amanda is still in high school and Jake a college freshman. They both had crushes on each other and Jake comes to the rescue when Amanda’s  Homecoming date dumps her. Sparks fly throughout their date and there may even be a first kiss. What happens after? You’ll have to read to find out!  It’s free at Smashwords and a short read!

 

 

Click HERE to order your FREE copy of THE BOY NEXT DOOR

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

Melinda: I’m currently working on the second in the series called New York Minute and hopefully will have it published next year.

TRC: Are any of the characters or situations based on reality or an amalgamation of ideas and information?

Melinda: I think every writer uses some part of their own experiences in some way. For Time Changes Everything, my characters are from Louisiana. Guess where I’m from? Yep! So, their fictional town, Lake Cooley, takes after a town near where my family lives called Lake Charles. As for the New York City setting, I’ve never been, but I dream about it and that’s why I wrote about NYC. I live vicariously through my characters!

TRC: If you could virtually cast the lead characters for this series, which models or actors would be represent your ideal image of Amanda and Jake?

Melinda: Amanda resembles Alexia Bleidel, the girl next door type with good fashion sense. Jake would take after Colin Egglesfield.

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

Melinda: My characters are definitely in charge! No matter how much planning, they lead the story!

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

Melinda: For Time Changes Everything I had to do a lot of research about New York City and about the character’s professions as a Buyer at Macy’s and a Sports Attorney. I wouldn’t say it’s a difficulty. I love the research part of writing. If someone could read my Google Search History, I might have to hide for a month from embarrassment.

Breaking The Rules

 

TRC: BREAKING THE RULES is your July 2013 release from Crimson Romance. Would you please tell us something about the storyline?

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

Melinda: This book is closer to home since it’s about a klutzy middle school principal who always follows the rules. Hope Robinson is very much like me in that sense. She meets Doctor Colin Calaway, a widower and father of a student, who pushes her to break the rules and follow her heart.

 

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

Melinda: I have an amazing network of writing friends who I’ve found online or through my publishers. I feel tremendously lucky to have them. They often beta read for me or email back and forth to hash out ideas.

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

Melinda: I think it has to be a balance of plot and characters. Characters drive a story, so if they are believable, then the overall storyline will be too.

TRC: How do you handle the pressures and anxiety of deadlines while still having time to raise a family?

Melinda: Ha! This is a tricky one! I always have pressure and anxiety, but I’m organized enough to schedule writing time in order to meet deadlines. I’m a stickler on time. I love making calendars, spreadsheets and to-do lists. Being a mother, teacher, wife and writer is hard work, but so worth it!

TRC: What are your thoughts on book reviews-good or bad?

Melinda: I appreciate the good and the bad as long as they are specific enough that I can learn from them. Of course, I’m always grateful for a positive review. My heart swells knowing someone enjoys my words and my creations.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Melinda: I’m happy to announce that I have a new sexy NA novella to be released in October from Swoon Romance. Trouble With Gold is part of a Winter Olympics themed anthology, Love and Other Games. I had the pleasure to work with three other amazing writers: Aria Kane, Ana Blaze and Kara Leigh Miller. Expect my cover reveal on August 23!

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Melinda: I appreciate you having me today! I love to hear from readers. You can find me at: Website/ Goodreads / Blog/ or Twitter (since I’m addicted)

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food
New Mexican

Favorite Dessert
Cheesecake

Favorite TV Show
Bachelor (I’m a reality T.V. nerd)

Last Movie You Saw
Despicable Me 2 (or in Spanish, Mi Vilano Favorito)

Dark or Milk Chocolate
Dark Chocolate! Yum!

Favorite Flower
Lily

Last Vacation Destination
Portland, Oregon

Pet Peeve
Not picking up after yourself (I’m a mom of two teenagers and a teacher to twelve year olds!)

Famous Secret Crush
Hey Girl, I love Ryan Gosling, but it’s not much of a secret!

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

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Catching Up With Jennifer Estep-Interview and Giveaway

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Catching Up With Jennifer Estep

Jennifer Estep

The Reading Cafe is thrilled to welcome back Jennifer Estep. Jennifer is here today to discuss her two new releases, Midnight Frost & Heart of Venom.  She will also tell us what she has in store for us in 2013/2014.

Let’s talk to Jennifer.

 

 

 

InterviewTRC: Hi, Jennifer. Thank you for taking the time to visit us again at The Reading Cafe, to discuss your two new releases, as well as give us an update as to what else you have upcoming for us in 2013.

Jennifer: Thanks for hosting me again. I really appreciate it.

 

Midnight Frost

TRC: Midnight Frost is the 5th book in your Mythos Academy series.  This was released in late July. Can you please give us a brief description of the book?

Jennifer:  Of course. Like the other books in the series, Midnight Frost focuses on Gwen Frost, a 17-year-old Gypsy girl who has the gift of psychometry, or the ability to know an object’s history just by touching it. After a serious freak-out with her magic, Gwen is shipped off to Mythos Academy, a school for the descendants of ancient warriors like Spartans, Valkyries, Amazons, and more.

In Midnight Frost, a friend of Gwen’s is poisoned, and she’s in a race against the clock and the bad-guy Reapers to try to find a cure in time to save her friend.

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo /The Book Depository

TRC: With 5 books, and 3 novellas completed in Mythos Academy series, do you see an end to this storyline?  If so how many books are you planning?

Jennifer: As of right now, there will be six books in the series. Killer Frost is the title of the sixth book.

Heart-of-Venom Aug 2013
TRC: Heart of Venom is the 9th book in your Elemental Assassin series. Can you give a brief description of this book?

Jennifer: Of course. Like the other books in the series, Heart of Venom focuses on Gin Blanco, an assassin codenamed the Spider who can control the elements of Ice and Stone. When she’s not busy killing people and righting wrongs, Gin runs a barbecue restaurant called the Pork Pit in the fictional Southern metropolis of Ashland. The city is also home to giants, dwarves, vampires, and elementals – Air, Fire, Ice, and Stone.


In Heart of Venom, two of Gin’s friends are attacked, and one is kidnapped, so it’s up to Gin to track down the bad guys and rescue her friend.

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

 

TRC: When you started this series, did you expect it to be this successful? How many books are you planning for this series?

Jennifer: I had no idea that the series would be as successful as it has been, and it’s been so wonderful to see folks respond to Gin and the other characters. I really, really appreciate all of the nice comments that I’ve gotten about the series. It always makes my day when I get a nice e-mail from someone telling me that they are enjoying my books.

As of right now, there will be at least ten books in the series. I am hoping to write more books in the series beyond that, but we’ll see what happens.

TRC: Being so busy with two series, have you had any thoughts of doing a different series?

Jennifer: I have ideas for a couple of different series that I would like to explore. But right now, I’m pretty busy writing my Elemental Assassin and Mythos Academy series. So we’ll see what happens. But I always have more ideas than I could ever find time to write.

TRC: Can you please tell us what else you have upcoming in 2013 or early 2014?

Jennifer: Spartan Frost, a Mythos Academy e-story, was released in June, and I have Parlor Tricks, an Elemental Assassin short story in the Carniepunk urban fantasy anthology that came out in July. Parlor Tricks is also available as a free e-download. Heart of Venom will be out on Aug. 27.

As of right now, The Spider, the tenth book in the Elemental Assassin series, will be released in late December 2013. Killer Frost, the sixth Mythos Academy book, is tentatively set to be released in March 2014.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Jennifer: Thanks again for hosting me on the blog. Also, folks can check out my website at www.jenniferestep.com for excerpts, free short stories, and more information about my books.
Facebook:
Twitter:
Goodreads:

TRC: Thank you, Jennifer for giving us an update on both your Mythos Academy and Elemental Assassin series. Good luck with Midnight Frost and Heart of Venom. We look forward to visiting us again in the future.

Jennifer: Thanks so much. Happy reading, everyone!

 

Giveaway white and rose

Jennifer has graciously offered to give one member of The Reading Café their choice of a signed copy of either Midnight Frost or Heart of Venom

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 August 14 to August 18, 2013

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Catching Up With Robin D. Owens

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Catching Up With Robin Owens

Robin Owens
The Reading Cafe is happy to welcome back Robin D. Owens. Yesterday, Robin released Heart Fortune, her newest release in her wonderful Celta series.  Robin is  here to discuss her new release, as well as to tell us what she may have in store for  us in 2014.

Before we start our interview, let’s refresh your memory about Robin.

 

 

About the Author silver

Robin D. Owens has been writing longer than she cares to recall. Her fantasy/futuristic romances finally found a home at Berkley with the issuance of HeartMate in December 2001. My best writing moment— winning the Romance Writers of America RITA award! My worst writing moment is every time a rejection hits.

I’m a true INFJ personality type = Introverted, intuitive vs. factual, “feeling” rather than thinking, and make quick judgments. I’m a nightowl, Scorpio, love pets, and I learn best through touching (tactile). I’m usually optimistic. My other creative outlet (and major achievement) is as a member of the Lungfish Theater improv group.

I love to read and read everything, science fiction, fantasy, mystery, thrillers, romance. I firmly believe that any man who reads a well-written romance will learn what a woman wants.

 

Interview-Black and Deep RoseHi, Robin.  Thank you for taking the time to visit again us at The Reading Cafe, to discuss your release of Heart Fortune, as well as giving us an update as to what else you have upcoming for us in 2013.

TRC: Heart Fortune is the 11th book in your Celta series.  For those who may not have read your series, can you please briefly tell us the premise of the series?

Robin: Celta was colonized by Earth people with psi power that has now developed essentially into magic, which they call Flair.  It is a pagan-Celtic society and includes telepathic animal companions…most with attitude, which, when talking about cats, is redundant. 🙂

Heart Fortune
TRC: With Heart Fortune having been released yesterday, can you please give us a brief description of the book?

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository

Robin: The heroine is Glyssa Licorice, a librarian, who discovers where her fated mate, her HeartMate, is when he has a life-threatening accident.  Glyssa and Jace had had a brief, hot fling, and he'd left the city, then she'd realized he was her HeartMate.  Now she's ready to travel across the continent to the  excavation site of the "lost" starship, one of three that had brought the colonists to Celta.  Love and danger ensues, along with bonding with Familiar companions, a fox kit and a hawk for Glyssa and Jace.  I use the Fams often for comic relief.

TRC:  When you started the Celta series, did you expect to still be writing this series 11th books later?  Do you have an end in sight, or do you plan to keep writing this wonderful series indefinitely ?  I hope so  🙂

Robin: Wow, of course I didn't know I'd still be doing it…and I have done other series that have let me try other things, and come back to Celta renewed.  Right now I have a 3 book contract and Heart Fortune is the first book of the three, so there will definitely be 2 more.  I have ideas for several more and no intention of ending the series anytime soon.

feral magicTRC:  You recently wrote a novella, Feral Magic.  Is this going to be a new series?  How did you come up with the idea of this book?

Robin: Long answer (as if the others haven't been).  I had the idea some years ago but didn't think a publisher would buy another shapeshifter romance, particularly when the hero was from another world who landed in Denver, Colorado, searching for his lost infant nephew.  When epublishing burgeoned, I thought this would be a good thing to put Feral Magic out.  Again, I have several ideas and should have actually gotten more novellas out by now, but I sold ANOTHER series (Ghostlayer) and Berkley wants very short deadlines on them so my time is booked.

enchanted ever after
TRC:  You also released Enchanted Ever After (Luna series) in December.  Can you give us a brief description of this series?  Also, how many books are you planning for this series?

Robin: Ah, I loved the Mystic Circle series, again set in Denver with brownies and elves, firesprites and mer people…and Kiri, my heroine in Enchanted Ever After, is a full human who moves into the magical cul-de-sac and becomes transformed…  I had planned nine books in the series, but it didn't sell as well as Luna and I would have liked, so there will be no more unless I do them on my own, and, as I said, my time is booked, though I had the first chapters of the next one written.


TRC:  Can you please tell us what else you may have upcoming in 2013 or early 2014?

Robin: April 2014, August 2014, December 2014 should see the Ghostlayer series, currently titled, Ghost Seer, Ghost Layer, and Ghost Slayer.

Series Concept:
An edgy lawman whose leg and life have been shattered… an uptight, rational accountant who’s inherited a psychic “gift” along with a fortune…and ghosts of Old West gunmen.

Book One: Ghost Seer:
Contemporary Denver, Queen City of the Plains, modern and thriving…and haunted by restless and reckless ghosts of a dusty past that only a few can sense.

Accountant Clare Cermac doesn’t think of her gypsy ancestry very often, that is until she inherits a fortune, and the gift to see ghosts – and to help them move on to the other side.  Not just any ghosts, but those of the Old West.  Strong and determined, she struggles to save her sanity and her life.

Zach Slade (Jackson Zachary Slade) leaves southern Montana with a disability pension in his pocket and a bitterness in his heart after the recent betrayal of his fellow deputies.  He’d thought he was a member of a team, but he’d been considered an outsider.  And though he has paranormal “hunches” when he sees crows, he doesn’t believe in woo woo.  He can’t work for the public anymore, and going “private” with his investigative skills is being bought.

Two lives derailed, touched with the supernatural, collide…and the ghosts of the wild, wild West are no more reckless than two people challenging each other mentally, emotionally, physically.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Robin: I am deeply indebted to my readers for all their support.  Thank you!  And many, many thanks for giving my enovella Feral Magic, a chance at pleasing you outside Celta.

Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again.  May a little magic always grace your lives.

TRC:  Thank you, Robin for giving us an update on Heart Fortune. We wish you the best of luck and look forward to you visiting us again in the future.

Robin:  Thank YOU!

 

Giveaway

Robin has graciously offered one lucky member of The Reading Cafe an e-copy of Feral Magic, and a signed copy of any book on her backlist.

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  Internationally

4.  Contests runs from August 7 to August 10, 2013

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Quest of the Hart by Mary Waibel-A Review and Interview with the Author

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Quest of the Hart by Mary Waibel-A Review and Interview with the Author

Quest of the Hart

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

About the Book:  Released  April 19, 2013

“A reverse Sleeping Beauty tale where the princess goes on the quest to save the prince.”

Princess Kaylee has never had to fight for anything. Her entire life has been arranged, even her marriage. But when Prince Devlin falls under an enchantment, she finds she is willing to do anything to save him, even if it means fighting a dragon.

Devlin’s own sister, Princess Arabella, is behind the deadly plot. She wants the throne and will use any means necessary. Her perfect plan unravels, leaving Devlin caught in a
magical sleep that is slowly spreading through the kingdom of Breniera. All Arabella needs to finish her spell and claim the crown is a drop of Kaylee’s blood, but obtaining the single drop is proving more difficult than expected.

To save her betrothed, Kaylee embarks on a quest to find an ancient sword and gather a drop of dragon’s blood, while trying to stay out of Arabella’s traps. But Arabella’s traps aren’t the only danger. Time is everything. For once the last inhabitant of the kingdom falls asleep, the spell will be sealed, and not even true love’s kiss will break it.

REVIEW

4 out of 5 for this reader folks!

What a refreshing spin on a common story many of us grew up with. A reverse Sleeping Beauty indeed. Quest of the Hart by Mary Waibel is a short (just over 150 pgs according to my ereader), action packed, magical, light love story between a prince and princess, and the evil that threatens their future together.

Princess Kaylee (our leading lady) starts this story with her betrothed Prince Devlin as a meek, intelligent and gentle woman falling in love with her handsome prince. One day while the princess and prince are on a ride through the forest, they come across the prince’s sister Princess Arabella. Princess Arabella is the first born twin sister to Prince Devlin and she has a serious bone to pick with her brother. convinced he has stolen the throne from her just by being male, she traps Prince Devlin into a spell by stabbing him with a dagger. Before she is able to stab Princess Kaylee (ensuring her blood is on the same dagger as the Prince’s, intending to kill them both), Princess Kaylee gets away.

Now Princess Arabella is really ticked off. Her spell isn’t complete and she has only a certain amount of time to ensure it gets sealed or she will suffer certain consequences. Princess Kaylee is picked up (she was injured when she fled) by others who possess magic and is shown the way to break the spell. Through dangerous quests and Princess Kaylee’s resolve to free the man she loves, turns her into a kick ass heroine! We encounter blood,swords, misses of death, hunting, dragons, magic and ultimately true love!

This is a fluffy read. Meaning, no grit or dirty, no sex .. it’s very PG. I do prefer a book that has more grit to it, but for those that do not, this is a beautiful fast read! If you love a good fairy tale where the woman is in charge, then for sure pick this book up!

HAPPY READING!

Copy supplied by the author

Reviewed by Rachel T.

Interview beige

TRC: Hi Mary and welcome to The Reading Café. We would like to start with some background information, would you please tell us something about yourself?

Mary Waibel Author Photo

 

Follow Mary: Waibel’s World Blog / Mary Waibel blog / Twitter / Goodreads / Facebook

Mary: I live in upstate New York with my husband, son, and our two cats. I taught music for five years before being a stay-at-home mom. Now, I balance my home life, work, and writing.

 

 

TRC: QUEST OF THE HART is your April 2013 release. Would you please tell us something about the premise?

ORDER LINKS: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO

Mary: QUEST OF THE HART is a reverse sleeping beauty where the princess goes on the quest to save the prince.

TRC: You call your style of storyline telling-fractured fairytale fantasy. Please explain the meaning of this description?

Mary: To me, a fractured fairy tale takes a well-known fairy tale and twists it in some way. Like the princess saving the prince, or the beast being the princess and the prince is the one who has to break the spell.

Quest of the HartTRC: What do you believe is the appeal of the re-written fairytale for adults?

Mary: I think adults are drawn to fairytales as they allow them to escape into the familiar world of their youth. The well-loved stories are a comfort, like a favorite blanket.

TRC: CHARMED MEMORIES is the companion novel to Quest of the Hart. Would you like to give us a hint as to the premise?

Mary: CHARMED MEMORIES follows Princess Kaylee’s (the heroine from QUEST) brother, Prince Trevor, as he searches to find his missing princess. When clues lead to the Woodland Guide, Bri, he is exstactic, as he’s falling in live her. But she has no memory of her past, and recovering those lost memories may cost more than either is willing to pay.

TRC: If you could virtually cast QUEST OF THE HART which models or actors would be represent your image for the leading characters in the storyline?

Mary:
Kaylee- Britt Robertson

Devlin- Chace Crawford (with longer hair)

Sabrina- Shelley Hennig

Arabella- Phoebe Tonkin (just needs violet eyes and blacker hair)

Thaddeus- Jake Sandvig

TRC: When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters? Are you a plotter or a ‘pantster’?

Mary: Oh, my characters direct the show. If I get one part of their reactions wrong, they won’t let me go on until I get it fixed. For the most part, I am a pantster. I know where I am starting and where I need to end, but the middle is wide open with paths for me to take and explore with my characters. Needless to say, my first drafts look nothing at all like the final product.

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

Mary: My biggest challenge was determining the POV characters. I knew there would be two, and one would be Princes Kaylee. Usually I alternate between the leading girl and guy, but Prince Devlin would be asleep for most of the book, so that wouldn’t work. I finally decided to write from the POV of Princess Arabella, the villainess.

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

Mary: I have a great group of CP’s (critique partners) I exchange work with. In addition to grammar and spelling errors and typos, they help check for flow, consistency of characters, and the overall story arcs. When I get stuck, I’ll e-mail, Skype, or IM with them and figure out how to fix whatever problem I’ve gotten myself caught up in. They also keep me writing. There’s nothing like knowing someone is waiting for pages of yours to read (or waiting to return the favor for them!)

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

Mary: In the case of QUEST, I thought of the traditional parts of the quest the prince took before he woke the princess, then looked at how a girl, unfamiliar with these skills, would do the same things. In CHARMED, there’s a hint a love triangle twist- there are two princes and one girl. She’s in love with one of them, but may have to marry the other, if they can prove her identity. In the end, it all comes down to staying true to the character and telling their story.

TRC: How do you handle the pressures and anxiety of deadlines while still having time to raise a family?

Mary: This is a constant juggling act. There are lots of time things slide at my house (cleaning, grocery shopping- stuff like that.) Fortunately, my husband and son are very understanding and help me out often.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Mary: I just submitted a third book in the series to my publisher, MuseItUp Publishing. While I wait to hear back on that, I am working on a paranormal romance with faeries and sorceresses and witches.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Mary: Thank you so much for having me here today. I really enjoyed talking with you!

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food
Manicotti

Favorite Dessert
Tiramisu

Favorite TV Show
The Vampire Diaries (now)
MacGuyver (when I was younger)

Last Movie You Saw
Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters

Dark or Milk Chocolate
Both!

Favorite Flower
Pansies- they always make me smile

Last Vacation Destination
Camping with the family

Pet Peeve
Bad drivers

Famous Secret Crush
Johnny Depp

TRC: Thank you Mary for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on the new release and we wish you all the best.

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Vicious Moon Blog Tour-Interview and Giveaway with Lee Roland

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VICIOUS MOON Blog Tour-Interview and Giveaway with Lee Roland

Vicious Moon Tour Banner
About the Author Black and OrangeLee Roland

 

Lee Roland began her writing career in middle school when she wrote a short story for her brother. He turned the story in to his teacher as his own work. To his amazement and terror, the teacher was so impressed that she read it aloud to the class—and asked him to write another one.

Lee notes that, other than motherhood, she’s never had an exciting job. She might have dreamed of being a lawyer, nurse or police officer, but finding the right person to share her life with changed her plans. Her only credentials for writing are a terrific imagination, life experience and the love of words in a good story. She reads voraciously, but particularly loves Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance.

Lee lives in Florida and is a full-time writer. She is a member of RWA National and the Florida based First Coast Romance Writers.

Before being published, Lee won many RWA Chapter contests and garnered a Golden Heart nomination in 2008 with her post apocalyptic novel, LILITH’S CHILD.
Lee is the author of the Earth Witches series published by NAL, beginning with VIPER MOON in 2011.

Contact Links: Website / Twitter/ Facebook

 

Interview orange:black

TRC: Hi Lee and welcome to The Reading Café. Congratulations on the release of Vicious Moon.

Vicious Moon
TRC: Vicous Moon was released on July 2, 2013, which is part of your Earth Witches series. Would you please tell us something about the premise of Vicious Moon?

Lee: “A powerful witch might live a long time, but a single well-placed bullet could change that. While my preferred weapon was magic, I was not averse to shooting anyone or anything offering my sister or me harm.”
 
Ex-soldier and earth witch Nyx Ianira is working as a PI in San Francisco when she sees the last thing she ever wants to see: the Sisters of Justice—the mysterious earth witch police force. A Triad of Sisters usually means an execution mission, but the Sisters’ only goal is to capture and escort Nyx across the country.
 
Nyx is badly needed back in Twitch Crossing, Georgia, the place she ran away from ten years ago to escape the stiff rules and duties of being a true witch. She wanted a life of her own. Now she’s being dragged back to her swampy hometown because another life is in danger: Her little sister is missing, and Nyx is the only one who can track her down in Duivel, Missouri.
 
But the key to finding her may lie with dark and tempting Etienne—a sinister criminal with a fearsome reputation, a ruthless attitude, and a total immunity to magic….

TRC: If you could virtually cast the leading characters from each of the three storylines in the series, which actors or models would best represent your hero/heroines?

Lee: I would prefer the primary actors and actresses in my stories be fresh new faces, not established stars.  I hope there would be a few established stars to draw an audience, but the main protagonists should be new.

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

Lee: At the present time there are only the three, in the Earth Witches Series, but the future holds some promise.  Stay tuned to my website.

1.     Viper Moon:
2.     Vengeance Moon:
3.     Vicious Moon:

TRC: What challenges did you face on the road to publication?

Lee: Since I wanted to be published by one of the major houses, I dealt with a lot of rejection.  It also took a long time, but I refused to give in to the temptation to hurry the process.  Being naturally shy, I had difficulty doing pitches.  My tongue would get twisted in knots.  Not a great impression.Once I found a supportive agent, things went much easier. 

TRC: What part of the book(s) was the most difficult for you to write? 

Lee: The romantic scenes.  I want my books to be story and character driven.  I like action and adventure and while relationships are very important, I don’t want the romance to slow the story down.  Save the world first, then fall in love.

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

Lee:
Write more books
Publish more books
Make more friends
Develop a good relationship with fans
Take care of myself and remain healthy

TRC: If you were a contestant on one of the reality television programs, which ‘reality program’ would you chose and why?

Lee: I would not be on a reality program.  I would not be chosen for such.   Reality programs seem to be looking for people who are rude and constantly misbehave. They are like characters in a fiction book, possibly interesting, but certainly not real.  Maybe they should be called unreality programs. 

TRC: Would you please tell us how you deal with the stress and anxiety of deadlines while trying to balance family life and writing?

Lee: I try to exercise and eat a proper diet.  Try. I really try.  Sometimes I have to just let go, yell and cry a lot.  Then I settle down and go to work.  Family life isn’t a problem.  I’m lucky to have a supportive bunch around me.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Lee: I’m currently working on an urban fantasy with some pretty quirky characters.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food:   Burgers  

Favorite Dessert:  Cheesecake

Favorite TV Show: Whatever’s on when I have time to watch TV

Last Movie You Saw: The Avengers

Dark or Milk Chocolate: Not a chocolate fan.

Favorite Flower: Lilies 

Thank you Lee for taking the time to answer our questions.  Congratulations on the release of VICIOUS MOON. 

Dynamic Urban Fantasy by Lee Roland
The Earth Witches, the keepers of the world’s magic, find chaos and desire in the hidden ruins of the Barrows. Servants of the enigmatic Earth Mother, they battle men, monsters and personal conflicts to protect the world. With magic, modern weapons and strong companions, they persevere to save mankind from evil.

Earth Witches Series

Viper MoonVIPER MOON (Earth Witches #1)
by Lee Roland
Release Date: July 2011

ISBN-13: 978-0451233769 (352 Pages)
Cassandra Archer is the huntress. She has faithfully served the earth Mother for years, rescuing kidnapped children from monsters—both human and supernatural—dwelling in the ruins of the Barrows District. But when two children are kidnapped under similar circumstances, all clues point to a cataclysmic event on the next dark moon. Aided by police Detective Flynn and Michael, mysterious and dangerous resident of the Barrows, Cass must race against the clock and prevent a sacrifice that could destroy the entire town…

**********************

Vengeance MoonVENGEANCE MOON (Earth Witches #2)
by Lee Roland
Release Date: June 2012

ISBN-13: 978-0451236432 (352 Pages)
Madeline Corso can’t rest until she hunts down the three men who killed her father and witch mother. Two of them are now dead by her hand. Unfortunately, her second kill had witnesses. Sent to prison, she is rescued Sisters of Justice—a mysterious order of female warriors with ties to her mother. Her fighting skills are honed by the Sisters, and they have tracked the last murderer to Duivel, Missouri. He is hiding in the dark underworld of the Barrows. Once in the Barrows, she discovers that things aren’t what they seem. The danger goes far beyond her need for revenge. Can she rely on Michael, a handsome and possibly deadly stranger, to help her navigate a world of men and beasts? Or will she lose her heart before the mission is complete?

***********************

Vicious MoonVICIOUS MOON (Earth Witches #3)
by Lee Roland
Release Date: July 2013

Click HERE for our review.

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

ISBN-13: 978-0451238269 (320 Pages)
Ex-soldier and Earth Witch Nyx Ianira is working as a PI in San Francisco when she sees the last thing she ever wanted to see: the Sisters of Justice—the mysterious Earth Witch police force. Three Sisters, a Triad, is usually a squad of executioners. This time, thought, the Sisters mission is to capture and escort an unwilling Nyx back to Twitch Crossing, Georgia. Nyx ran away from Twitch Crossing ten years ago to escape the stiff rules and duties of being a true Witch. She wanted a life of her own. Now she’s been dragged back to her swampy hometown because another life is in danger—her little sister is missing, and Nyx is the only one who can go to Duivel, Missouri and track her down. But the key to finding her may lie with the dark and tempting Etienne—a sinister criminal with a fearsome reputation, a ruthless attitude, and a total immunity to magic…

Rafflecopter Giveaway Black and Orange

Lee is offering all 3 books of the Earth Witches Series (US Only) (June 25 – July 31)

NOTE: The Reading Cafe is NOT responsible for the rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Catching Up With Dianna Love-Interview and Giveaway

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Catching Up With Dianna Love-Interview and Giveaway

Dianna LoveThe Reading Cafe is thrilled to welcome back Dianna Love. Last week, Dianna released her 3rd book in her Slye Temp series, Honeymoon to Die For. On July 30th, Dianna and Sherrilyn Kenyon will release the 4th book in their Belador series, Rise of the Gryphon. She is here to discuss both books, as well as what else we may have to look forward to in 2013/2014

Before we start the interview, let’s refresh your memory about Dianna.

 

About The Author

Dianna Love was born in Sarasota, Florida and grew up in the Tampa Bay area. She fell out of the womb a portrait artist and soon realized she was right brain/left brain, because she loved mathematics and business as much as creating art. Leaning on her artistic background, she started hand painting signs and then moved on to scaling billboards, where she was the rare female artist who would go a hundred feet in the air to paint someone’s portrait 20’ tall. While going from that to building Olympic projects for companies like Coca-Cola, she was a voracious reader of everything from thrillers, romance, sci-fi and fantasy to memoirs and biographies. But fiction was always her first love in reading. She started entertaining herself during fifteen-hour days by making up stories.  After spending many years traveling across country to create unusual marketing projects for Fortune 500 company, she’s now released her energetic muse on creating high-octane romantic thriller stories and urban fantasy.

Her first book won the prestigious RITA® Award (as Dianna Love Snell) and she now has a new Slye Temp romantic thriller series in 2013 – LAST CHANCE TO RUN (available), NOWHERE SAFE(available), HONEYMOON TO DIE FOR (June/2013) and KISS THE ENEMY (fall). Dianna also co-writes the Belador urban fantasy series with #1 NYT best seller Sherrilyn Kenyon. RISE OF THE GRYPHON is the next Belador release (July/2013).

When not speaking at national and international events throughout the year, Dianna lives in the metro Atlanta area with her motorcycle-instructor husband and a tank full of unruly saltwater fish named after celebrities.

Now let’s talk to Dianna.

InterviewTRC: Hi Dianna.  Thank you for taking the time to visit us again at The Reading Cafe, and to give us an update on your two new releases, as well as what else you may have upcoming in 2013 or early 2014.

Dianna: Thank you for having me again. I love to visit The Reading Café (I always think what a great blog name that is).

TRC: This month, you have just released your third book in your Romance suspense series, Slye Temp.  Can you please tell us the premise of this series, for those who may not have read it?

Dianna: The idea for this series came to me when I was first writing Last Chance To Run (LCTR), which is why LCTR is the prequel novel. The Slye Temp series  is about an independent black ops team led by Sabrina Slye, one very deadly woman you wouldn’t want to cross. After a mission in the UK went bad two years back, she and her team dropped out of sight to heal their wounds.  When they resurfaced, Sabrina opened Slye Temp, an elite corporate security agency. At least, that’s what the public sees at street level. Below ground is where covert missions to protect national security are planned in the war room.  Every story is a stand-alone romantic thriller about one of the agents finding love in the most unexpected—and inconvenient--place, but there is also an over-arcing plot going on in the background that progresses with each book.  These are high-action stories with powerful romance at the center of each one.

Love-HoneymoontodieforTRC: Can you give a brief description of your new novel in the Slye Temp series, Honeymoon to Die For?

NOTE: If you haven’t read Nowhere Safe – skip this because it’s going to give away a spoiler.

Dianna: Ryder Van Dyke was introduced as a new Slye Temp agent in Nowhere Safe.  During that story, he did a favor for someone in his family, which ended with him being arrested for murder. At the opening of Honeymoon To Die For, he’s being held for trial, but he’s being held in a prison due to the nature of the charge and his Special Forces skills.

When something unexpected happens in the prison yard, the FBI sees the chance to coerce Ryder into gaining evidence they need to go after a man they believe is a traitor – Ryder’s father.  The deal requires Ryder and Special Agent Bianca Brady to team up, and it turns out nothing like either one expects.

 

Rise of the Gryphon
TRC: Rise of the Gryphon is your next book in the Belador series, which is expected to be released on July 30th.  Can you give us a brief description of this book? 

Dianna:  Rise of the Gryphon is a major turning point in the arc of the Belador series.  Evalle Kincaid meets her greatest challenge personally and on the battlefield. In this book, Evalle decides she’s ready to take her relationship with Storm to the next step, but things are never easy for her and this is no different.

At the same time, she has to turn her back on her beloved Beladors to save them.

 

Justifiable
TRC: Justifiable is the first book in your Riley Walker series.  Would you please give us a brief description of this series? Are you and Wes Sarginson planning on a new book soon?

Dianna: This series started as an idea that Wes had back when we first met. He’d filmed a special on me for television, and we hit it off. He kept calling to discuss this book idea and I would always explain how to develop the characters and plot, but he wanted me to co-write it with him.  I was hesitant only because I had so much on my plate at the time, but I finally gave in (Wes is very persuasive!).

This series is about a television news anchor who was at the top of his game (like Wes) when something very bad happened to destroy his reputation (not like Wes).  Riley moves to Philadelphia and takes a job with the lowest-ranked station in the city.  He gets a chance at a big story there, but it turns into his worst nightmare when he realizes there are parallels to the incident that cost him everything. But he can’t turn his back on the story because a child is in jeopardy and a killer is targeting innocent adults.  Book two is in the plotting stage and we hope to have it out next year. 
Link to our Justifiable review:

TRC: You also write a new series, The Red Moon series, as Micah Caida. What can you tell us about this series, and why you decided to use a pen name?

Dianna: Mary Buckham and I are collaborating on this series. We debated about using our names since we’ve been published for a while, but decided we wanted to keep the young adult series separate from our adult books.

Caida-Time Trap
Time Trap is book one of the four-book Red Moon series, all of which will be out by the end of 2014. This series is like nothing else out there, but the books target fans of The Hunger Games and Harry Potter. It’s a sci-fi/fantasy about Rayen, a seventeen-year-old girl who wakes up in a strange land (on Earth) and is being chased by a sentient beast.  She has no idea who she is or why everything seems unfamiliar, at first. She forms an unlikely alliance with a computer-savvy street punk and a gifted, oddball girl to save their world – and the future – which is how Rayen meets an unusual seventeen-year-old boy who is as deadly as he is attractive.

TRC: What are you currently working on now? Also, would you like to share with us what you may have upcoming in 2013 or early 2014.

Dianna: Right now, I’m working on the next Slye Temp novel – Kiss The Enemy– that will be out this fall (2013). The next YA book will be Time Return (Book two in the Micah Caida Red Moon series) that Mary and I plan to have out this winter.  In 2014, I’ll release two more Slye Temp books and the last two in the Red Moon Series, plus (we hope) the next Riley Walker and possibly a New Adult novel I have in mind.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Dianna: I would love to remind readers that they can get free, signed cover cards in the www.KeeperKase.com program. The glossy cards are 4 x 6, and will fit in any photo album or brag book.  I’m giving away the Keeper Cards, and the list of other authors offering cards is constantly growing. This is a program I created just for readers and am thrilled to see the response. If they read e-books, now they can collect the autographed cards to put on their Keeper Shelves the way we all used to keep autographed books, but all readers are welcome to get the cards, whether they read e-books or print books.

TRC: Thank you, Dianna for giving us an update on what we can look forward to in 2013/2014, and we wish you the best with both new releases.

Dianna: Thanks so much Barb.  It’s always a pleasure to visit with you here and catch up with what’s been happening.  I’ll be around to chat today if anyone has questions or comments. 

If you want to know more about Dianna, you can visit her at the following links:
Website:
Twitter:
Facebook:
Goodreads:

Giveaway-Blue:Black

Dianna has graciously offered two lucky members of The Reading Cafe a signed copy of her lastest release, Honeymoon To Die For.

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 to US Only

4.  Contests runs from July 10 to July 13, 2013

 

Rise Of The Gryphon
Belador Series
Sherrilyn Kenyon & Dianna Love
Release Date: July 30, 2013
Links to order:
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository 

Rise of the Gryphon

If dying is the cost of protecting those you love… bring it. 

An Alterant who fights trolls, demons, and other deadly creatures, Evalle is an outcast among the Beladors. But now she can change all that – and finally get answers about her origins. In her attempt to take down the Belador traitor and bring home a captured friend, she infiltrates the dangerous Medb coven where she discovers exactly what an Alterant really is…and the news is not good for the Beladors.

Meanwhile, Evalle’s best friends Tzader and Quinn face unthinkable choices, as relationships with the women they love grow twisted. Evalle’s relationship with the Skinwalker Storm takes a major step and becomes complicated when the witchdoctor he’s been hunting begins to stalk her. With death breathing down her neck, Evalle is forced to embrace her destiny . . . but at what price?

 

Honeymoon To Die For
Slye Temp Series
Dianna Love
Release Date: June 27,2013
Links to order:
Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Love-Honeymoontodiefor

She’s convinced he’s guilty. He knows he’s not.

Can they survive long enough to prove who’s right?

Former Slye agent RYDER VAN DYKE is facing conviction for a murder he didn’t commit. When his last hope for freedom disintegrates, the FBI offers a deal – a commuted sentence if Ryder helps them nail a deadly criminal … his father.

FBI analyst BIANCA BRADY wants justice for the death of her best friend. Now all she needs is proof that the Van Dyke patriarch is guilty of funding terrorist operations. She’s willing to do whatever it takes to make Van Dyke criminals pay, or so she thinks. But there’s a catch.

The only way to get an FBI agent inside the family compound and Van Dyke Enterprises is as Ryder’s legal wife. Ryder has his own plan – to prove his innocence or use his Special Forces skills to disappear. But deadly secrets, an international security threat and a killer with a vendetta force Ryder to make the ultimate choice – give up his freedom or risk the life of the woman who’s stolen his heart.

 

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