Interview with sci-fi romance novelist Linda Nightingale

Novelist Linda Nightingale is in the hot seat today, and she’s chatting with me about her new sci-fi romance, Life for Sale.

During her virtual book tour, Linda will be giving away a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a luck randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:

After 14 years in Texas, Linda returned home to her roots in South Carolina. She has 8 published novels, four of which are available from Audible.com in audio. For many years, she bred, trained and showed Andalusian horses. So, she’s seen a lot of this country from the windshield of a truck pulling a horse trailer. Linda has won several writing awards, including the Georgia Romance Writers’ Magnolia Award for Excellence, the Raven Award in Anthologies, and the SARA Merritt. Sinners’ Opera is a finalist in the 2020 Raven Awards. She loves horses, sports cars, music, reading, writing, and piano—oh, and dressing up and hosting formal dinner parties.

Welcome, Linda. Please share a little bit about your current release.

Life for Sale is a sci-fi romance that probably leans more to the sci-fi than the romance. The book is Book II in the Tomorrow’s Angels’ series. The first is Love for Sale, which begins the journey of the main characters, Christian, a sentient android, and March, a human and a dreamer. It is, as one review said, a ‘study of a chaotic mind, albeit lab created’. Christian and March race to stop an insane killer—one of his kind—trapped on a cruise ship in the middle of the Atlantic.

What inspired you to write this book?

Four years after Love for Sale was released, I came to feel Christian’s and March’s story wasn’t told, wasn’t complete, that there was something else I needed to say. Christian was telling me the story, but I needed a villain. Kind of a requirement! One day as I was rereading what I’d written, a what if moment struck me. What would happen if one of the almost invulnerable androids malfunctioned? I had four suspects. Not Daniel, he had a story coming. Not Trevor because I hardly knew him. Monica II was perfect. The sexy android hadn’t found anyone to love her, and she wanted someone badly enough to kill anyone who had him. Long answer to short question. The long and short of it is, Love for Sale inspired this story.


Excerpt from Life for Sale:

“Why are you here? To spout more nonsense?” Spitting mad, Monica reared up in her enemy’s face.

“Not at all.” March’s hand flashed, almost too rapidly for Monica to see, and came down hard below her nose in a Judo-like attack.

Shocked and in pain, she stumbled back, switching modes as she pushed off the bed. “That’s it, whore. You’re a dead woman.”

“I don’t think so,” her rival gritted out, hands braced on her hips, her expression as cold and hard as her mediocre brown eyes. She shook her head. “Look, Monica, I know you’re aware of your actions. I’m going to give you a chance. You must deactivate until we can safely transport you to Dr. Cross for testing. Surely, you know something is wrong.”

“As they say in the films, you and whose army?” She squared her shoulders, preparing to strike without notice. “I didn’t do anything to that bloody dog. I didn’t do anything to you, fool.”

 “You didn’t mention Anne.” The other woman seized Monica’s arm. “What did you do to Anne?”

Claws out, Monica lunged. March darted beneath her guard, stabbing at a spot beneath her left earlobe. Monica shoved her back. “Looking for my off switch, fool? It’s well hidden, like where Ms. Goodie Two Shoes wouldn’t even think about going.”

Her insane human rival stood at the locked door, her stance as much as saying to leave Monica would have to get past her. No prob. She stalked toward her rival, murder in her eyes. March didn’t move. When Monica threw a punch at her eye, she moved by the gods.

The American whore lurched back, crossing her arms across her face, anticipating Monica’s next attack. Forearm struck forearm. A human bone should break, but March stood her ground, her limb intact. She recovered too quickly, dealing Monica a hard blow beneath her cheekbone, barely missing her eye, slamming her back against the wall.

“I don’t know what you are, March Morgan,” she sneered. “But it’s not going to save your butt.”

“No, but I am.” Looking like an avenging angel, Christian—in a Houston t-shirt and khaki shorts, his long hair disheveled—had somehow appeared behind March without either of them hearing.

What exciting story are you working on next?

I’m actually trying to choose between two. My contemporary western must come first. I have an approval in hand. Afterwards. I can work on the sequel to Sinners’ Opera, a vampire paranormal, titled Sinners’ Obsession. If not Sinners’ Obsession, then my centaur book where the hero is a golden palomino centaur who dazzles a Dystopian girl when she discovers a time portal from a ruined Earth to his idyllic home.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When I got a high grade on a story I’d written instead of a book report in 9^th grade. The rest of the world wasn’t as sure.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your workday like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I do write full-time, but I can only write well when I’m in my zone. Interruptions pull me out of the story, and that’s that for the day. I know that sounds temperamental but past experience like throwing away a ton of pages has taught me it is true.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I must be totally alone to get into the space where I am transported into the story, living it with the characters, seeing what they see and hearing what they hear. It’s a wonderful place to be, but a fragile bubble that can be shattered by the ringing of the phone.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

An auto mechanic. My dad was always tinkering with our cars (maybe he wanted to be an auto mechanic, too), and I was right there with him under the hood. To this day, I wish I could work on cars. For fun and profit. I love cars, particularly sports cars.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I love you. I mean really. I write for you and me. You’re the biggest part of my passion for writing—to have someone appreciate my work, to enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. That’s a good feeling. Every time I get a five-star review, I happy dance. Thank you.

Links:

Twitter | Facebook | Website | Blog | Goodreads | Pinterest | Amazon | Book Bub

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Interview with romance author Linda Nightingale

My special guest today is Linda Nightingale and we’re talking about two of her paranormal sci-fi romance audiobooks, Morgan D’Arcy: A Vampyre Rhapsody and Love for Sale.

During her virtual book tour, Linda will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky, randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too.

Bio:

Born in South Carolina, Linda has lived in England, Canada, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Atlanta and Houston. She’s seen a lot of this country from the windshield of a truck pulling a horse trailer, having bred, trained and showed Andalusian horses for many years.

Linda has won several writing awards, including the Georgia Romance Writers Magnolia Award and the SARA Merritt. She retired from a career as a retired legal assistant, just joined the Houston BMW Club, and the stars in her crown—two wonderful sons. In a former life, she must have had to walk everywhere because today she is into transportation with fine taste in expensive horses and hot cars! She likes to dress up and host formal dinner parties.

Please share a little bit about your current release.

Now in audiobook as well as print and eBook, Morgan D’Arcy: A Vampyre Rhapsody, a paranormal, follows a vampire on a journey through his loves over the centuries. The book is comprised of short stores, each with a different heroine.

The greatest enemy of a vampire is boredom. Four centuries of existence have taught Lord Morgan Gabriel D'Arcy to fear nothing and no one. Humans and their weapons have little chance against his preternatural speed and arcane powers. Vampires are viral mutations of human DNA. Still, the Vampyre code requires secrecy, and he has learned to hide his nature from the world. The lure of mortality, of a life in the sun, puts Morgan again and again at the mercy of calculating human women though they fail to consider his charm and determination into the equation. However, even grooming a future bride from infancy proves to be fraught with heartbreak. And second chances are not always what they seem unless... you are Morgan. Immortality and beauty, aren’t they grand?

Love for Sale is a sci-fi romance about a disillusioned dreamer and her perfect man—a sentient android indistinguishable from human. March signs on the dotted line buying Christian. Soon, they are embroiled in lies and secrets that threaten their happiness—indeed their lives.

March Morgan still believes in true love, but her faith in finding her soul mate is slowly vanishing. She’s been married but never in love. So, it is a miracle to find that fantasy exists on the last page of a glossy women’s journal. Mayfair Electronics, Ltd., in black and white, offers Love for Sale. The London firm has engineered sentient androids indistinguishable from humans. She flies to England and meets the man she has been searching for her entire life.

Christian requires no programming to love March at first sight. He’s handsome, cultured…absolutely perfect…and a little different from the other androids. He has an unexpected independent streak. March signs on the dotted line, buying her dream man. They return to Houston, but soon her past and his future threaten their Happily Ever After—indeed their lives.

What inspired you to write this book?

Rhapsody is a companion book to Sinners’ Opera, Morgan’s and Isabeau’s story. They are the hero and heroine in Sinners’ Opera. (more about that later). It tells of Morgan’s love affairs over the century…until he finally meets his soul mate, Isabeau.

Love for Sale was inspired by the early robots. I wondered what androids that were totally like humans would be like. My Muse awoke, and we imagined an answer. Love for Sale began life as a short story and won first place in the Houston Writers Guild short story contest.


Excerpt from Rhapsody:

“I didn’t expect to be greeted by an English lord when I applied for the Andorra position.” She swirled the red wine in her glass. “I must say I am more than intrigued. If my situation at the Institut were such that I could volunteer my services…”

“I’m quite willing to pay.” I nodded to the sommelier. “Pour, please.”

He delivered a new glass, filling it with a wine to compliment the starter. I wished I could taste the white Bordeaux, but I’d be violently ill. With my fresh glass, I saluted my savior. Some god somewhere had answered my prayer. She gave me a stunning smile, raising her wine stem in acknowledgment.

I returned my untouched beverage to the table. “I have a few questions, if I may.”

She inclined her head, the mellow light caressing her glossy auburn hair. Amusement twinkled in her eyes. Dr. Wolfe was fully aware she had ambushed me, gaining the temporary advantage.

“I’m sure you know this is a dangerous adventure. Of greater importance, to me, you must keep everything you learn in the strictest confidence.”

She frowned. “The Institut is, of course, interested in the Andorran tragedy. I’d thought to use my findings in my work.”

“That’s quite impossible.”

“Why does an English nobleman wish to research anthrax?” She sipped her wine, never breaking eye contact. “As you say, the mission is perilous.”

“That, and other revelations, will come in time. If you commit to the position, you will be required to sign a confidentiality agreement.”

Amber shouldered back in her chair, crossed her arms, and stared into the distance. I studied the emotions flitting across her face. She was more than interested but not thrilled with the need for secrecy. The whisper of conversation and clink of silverware on china intruded on the sudden quiet as my companion considered the demands of the job. Her pupils dilated, darkening her eyes. Deep in thought, she was truly lovely.

She roused, tossing me a coquettish glance. “You had no idea I’d be a woman, and I didn’t dream my employer would be so handsome, Lord D’Arcy.”

Since both are audiobooks, here are the links to visit my website for audio excerpts:

Rhapsody:    http://lindanightingale.com/morgan-darcy-vampyre-rhapsody/

Love for Sale:           http://lindanightingale.com/love-for-sale/

What exciting story are you working on next?

I’m actually working on a vampire novel called Sinners’ Waltz. It’s the prequel to Sinners’ Opera and Sinners’ Obsession, both published by a Canadian publisher. The rights on Sinners’ Opera just reverted to me, and I’ve sent it to my editor at TWRP. Sinners’ Waltz follows Morgan’s final years as a mortal and his mutation into a vampire.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When my first book, Gemini Rising, was published. It has since been reissued as Her Brother’s Wife by Bianca Swan (pen name for my erotic romance) and released by Lot’s Cave Publishing.

Do you write full-time?

Yes. I retired in 2014 from a career as a legal assistant.

If so, what's your work day like?

I don’t write every day. I write when my Muse whispers in my ear.

If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

Promote, or so it seems..

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

All of them. I’m quirky. No, seriously, I overuse ‘glide’. Everybody in my books glides instead of walk, run, etc. I also like to have Morgan tossing his ‘mane’.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A writer.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

If you can’t tell by reading about Morgan, I love tall blond men with long hair and blue eyes. Know any?

Links:

Twitter | Facebook | Website – Visit and look around. There’s a free continuing vampire story.

Blog - Lots of interesting guests & prizes | Goodreads | Pinterest | Amazon

Thank you for being a guest on my blog!

Thank you for allowing my characters and me to be guests!

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Interview with paranormal romance author Linda Nightingale

Romance author Linda Nightingale joins me today and we’re chatting about her new paranormal book, Her General in Gray

During her virtual book tour, Linda will be awarding black diamond earrings and an e-book of Her General in Gray (International Giveaway) to one winner, and a second winner will receive a digital choice of one of the author's backlist during the tour. Both winners will be randomly chosen. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:

Born in South Carolina, Linda has lived in England, Canada, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Atlanta and Houston. She’s seen a lot of this country from the windshield of a truck pulling a horse trailer, having bred, trained and showed Andalusian horses for many years.

Linda has won several writing awards, including the Georgia Romance Writers Magnolia Award and the SARA Merritt. She is the mother of two wonderful sons, a retired legal assistant, member of the Houston Miata Club, and enjoys events with that car club. Among her favorite things are her snazzy black convertible and her parlor grand piano. She loves to dress up and host formal dinner parties.

Please share a little bit about your current release.

Her General in Gray is not so much about the Civil War as it is about a woman and a ghost—like the Ghost and Mrs. Muir, a movie starring Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison, made in 1947, the same year I was born. I saw it later when I was a toddler. The movie is the inspiration for Her General in Gray. I wrote the story in response to a call for ghost stories from The Wild Rose Press and set it in one of my favorite places—Charleston, South Carolina, and the surrounding area which is called the Low Country—where Spanish moss festoons the giant oaks and crickets sink at night while fireflies wink.

Excerpt from Her General in Gray:
“Stand aside, spook.” Dudley marched into the room, made as if to push past him, but Sib stood his ground. Folding his hands in supplication, he begged the woman he’d wounded to understand. “God knows, Autumn, I didn’t mean to hurt you. The whole ugly thing is his fault.” His finger jutted at Sib. “If he hadn’t challenged me to a duel—”

Grabbing the other man by his knit shirt, Sib prepared to frog march him back the way he’d just come. “She doesn’t want to see you, Dudley. Your very presence is disturbing and harmful.”

“Let her be the judge of that.” Dudley tried to wrest free.

From the bed came a weak cry that froze them in place. “Stop it.  You’re both upsetting me. The two of you in one room mix as well as oil and water. Sib, leave. Beau, stay.”

Sib freed Dudley, turning to gape at Autumn. Why was she ordering him out, siding with, the traitor? The redhead dusted off his clothing and straightened his shirt. His triumphant expression tempted Sib to smash a fist into his mouth, wiping away his gloating smile.  Instead, he offered Autumn a quick bow.

“I’ll be outside the door if you need me.” Why had he given this stranger the power to so damage his feelings? Because she can call me into corporeality? Perhaps, being a ghost wasn’t as bad as he’d thought. That she should take his killer’s side hurt more than he believed possible.

She nodded, refusing to meet the question in his eyes.  He spun on his heel, walked calmly across the room, and closed the door without looking back.

But Sib left a vital part of his heart in that sickroom.

What exciting story are you working on next?

A sequel to my book Love for Sale about sentient androids indistinguishable from human, with human emotions, and programmed to love. The sequel is Life for Sale. It is coming along slowly because life gets in the way. I’m also in the galley stage for Gylded Wings. In GW, the most famous angel of all tells the story in first person. It is a dark fantasy from the Black Rose line of The Wild Rose Press.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I wrote as a youngster, received some very unkind criticism, and didn’t pick my pen back up for over 30 years. My first book was published in 2012, and that’s when I considered myself an author.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I’m a retired legal assistant and am lucky enough to be able to write full-time. I also write copy for an advertising agency and that can be challenging while at the same time fun. My typical workday varies depending on life and work for the agency. Sometimes, I might not write for days and some days I am able to write the entire day. I write best early in the morning—say 3 or 4 AM.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I like wine with my meals and wine with my writing.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A famous horsewoman.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I bred, trained and showed the magnificent Andalusian horse and almost but not quite achieved my childhood goal.

Links:

Twitter | Facebook | Website | Blog | Goodreads | Pinterest | Amazon

Thank you for being a guest on my blog today!
Thank you for allowing Sib, Autumn and me to guest on your lovely blog.

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Interview with romance author Linda Nightingale

Romance author Linda Nightingale is here today to talk about writing, and her new novel, Love for Sale.

During her virtual book tour, Linda will be awarding a sterling silver and genuine turquoise earrings valued at $45 as well as author-signed swag (US/Canada ONLY, an international winner will receive a choice of one digital book of Linda's) to a lucky, randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:

Something of a gypsy (actually nothing quite so romantic!) born in South Carolina, Linda has lived in England, Canada, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Atlanta, and Houston. She’s seen a lot of this country from the windshield of a truck pulling a horse trailer, having bred, trained and showed Andalusian horses for many years.

Linda has won several writing awards, including the Georgia Romance Writers Magnolia Award. She is the mother of two wonderful sons, a retired legal assistant, member of the Houston Symphony League and enjoys events with her car club. Among her favorite things are her snazzy black convertible and her parlor grand piano. She loves to dress up and host formal dinner parties.

Welcome, Linda. Please tell us a little bit about this book.
Love for Sale is a sci-fi romance that began as a short story. The short story won its category in the Houston Writers Guild contest. Then languished in my computer for years before an author friend encouraged me to make it into a book.

What inspired you to write this book?

I begin any book with one character—typically the hero. He starts the story then other characters enter to tell their tale. I am definitely a punster.


Excerpt from Love for Sale:
“Inane? I find you with another woman in the bedroom, and this conversation is silly? Oh, no, Christian. Did you invite her here?” Why couldn’t she stop hurting herself and let him go, lock the door and email Mayfair for a courier pickup?

Folding his arms across his chest, he leaned against the door. “She knocked. I answered and kept her outside until it started to rain. She was talking about the club and telling me, again, that I’d be a success as a male dancer. Being a success at something would be a bloody miracle. At any rate, half-jokingly, I asked her to teach me to dance. The End.”

“Not quite. Why did you slip her out behind my back?”

“I wished to avoid a scene like this.” His voice shaded deeper, darker. “And I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“There, it’s said. You can come back in now and stop pretending you’re leaving.” She waved a hand, half-heartedly beckoning. “You’ve got nowhere to go.”

He inhaled sharply as if she had punched him in the stomach. “I’m quite aware of that fact. I do not like seeing you this upset. Please call Mayfair tomorrow. I’ll voluntarily deactivate. They will dispatch a FedEx pickup for me.”

She raked a hand through her hair. “Oh, my God, what have you done and why? What have I done? Paradise Lost.”

“Why can’t you trust me?” His sad expression pierced her heart.

Nearly human. Though he didn’t have a heart, his emotions could be damaged.

“Because I don’t trust men.” An angry sob caught in her throat. When she could again speak, she croaked, “In general. Well, almost. I learned that lesson at my mother’s knee.”

“I’m not even almost any man.” He lifted his hands in a pleading gesture. “Return me to Mayfair for reprogramming. I don’t care. I only want to stay with you.”

“You have a funny way of showing it,” she said in a lethal whisper, her voice then rising in outrage. “If I’d been earlier or later, would I have found you bucking in bed?”

Looking stricken, he stood silent and straight, a bare-chested god with ice blue eyes.

What exciting story are you working on next?

My next book is way out of my paranormal realm. But I raised, trained and showed Andalusian horses for many years. I LOVE horses. Gambler’s Choice is about the equestrian set. A wealthy socialite goes to England in search of the perfect horse. Instead she meets the perfect man—a baron with the manor house, the title, but not the money. He is darkly handsome and mysterious, but danger surrounds him. Could Becca lose her heart as well as her life? Available soon from The Wild Rose Press.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When my first book was published in 2012. Because of its controversial nature, I never expected Gemini Rising to be published.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I retired from a career as a Legal Assistant in February last year to write full-time. I write in the mornings, generally, or late at night. I’m now a Content Strategist for an advertising agency, working contract, part-time.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I write by the seat of my pants. I like to drink Pellegrino while I’m writing.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A writer. Or a brain surgeon. Maybe a rocket scientist. Hum. Maybe a street cleaner or garbage collector. Well, perhaps, a wife and mother—achieved that!!! Hum. There are so many choices. A race car driver.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I love them. Like all authors, readers are paramount. My dearest wish is to transport them, immerse them, in the worlds of my imagination. I’d like for them to love the characters chattering in my head. Am I schizophrenic? No, just a writer.

Links:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Buy page

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