Interview with romance writer Nora LeDuc

Novelist Nora LeDuc helps me kick off a new week and round out the month by chatting with me about her new contemporary romance novella, Beach Kisses & Sunset Wishes within The Last Chance Beach: Summer Ends boxset.

During her virtual book tour, Nora will be giving away 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:

Nora grew up in rural New England where she currently lives with her family. She enjoys visiting and spending time with her friends, the Winettes, in Florida, where she continues to write. Her current book, Beach Kisses, Sunset Wishes is her seventeenth. In October, Christmas at the Easy Breezy will be released. You can find Nora on Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook and her website: Noraleduc.com. She also contributes to the Romance Gems’ Blog every month.

Please share a little bit about your current release

I’d been longing for a while to create a novella with a focus on a contemporary romance. My most recent books have fallen into the romantic suspense category and none are short. Could I write one?

Thanks to the fabulous writing group that I belong to, the Romance Gems, I was given the opportunity to answer this question. I volunteered to contribute to our first box set Last Chance Beach: Summer’s End. I was excited and nervous but told myself to go for it.

My first job was to establish my daily word count and plan my story. I knew both my characters had suffered disastrous relationships. As a result, they handled their dating lives in different ways. My heroine wanted a fling. My hero wanted to find a woman for a lifetime commitment.

Each day I thought about my protagonists and my plot and then sat and wrote. On my screen, the tale came alive, and the story grew. Finally, they reached the end of their journey, now titled Beach Kisses & Sunset Wishes.

What inspired you to write this book?

I had many inspirations. The Gems read the history or Legend of Last Chance Beach. This sparked a lot of ideas about people living in paradise and a land where wishes come true. Another author created a map, giving us a visual of where our characters were located. Others carried on online discussions of life on our island.

For the island settings, I used my memories from vacations. Since I’d cruised to Bermuda twice, I pictured Last Chance Beach with the same pastel-colored concrete buildings. I imagined the picturesque town square where my cruise ship docked as the center of our isle.

My muse tapped into my time spent on the seashores in Florida and walking their beautiful wooded rail trails. This provided me with mental images of the plants, trees, and the sea. Finally, my writings sprang from the characters’ situations. She works at the Sands Hotel Gift Shop and dreams of owning her own brick & mortar store. He’s staying at the same resort while running his Yelp-like business. Both have sworn off adventures in dating until they meet each other. Neither could resist the other.

Excerpt from Beach Kisses & Sunset Wishes:

Frankie spotted him across the café patio. She’d never seen him here before.

He sat alone, wearing khaki shorts and a pale blue shirt, open at the collar. Dense black hair spilled over his forehead, and bristles shadowed his strong jaw. He looked to be in his early thirties. Dark-framed sunglasses were perched on his straight nose as he read something on his phone resting beside his plate of eggs and hash browns. He took off his shades, rubbed his chin, and raised his gaze. Their glances collided.

His brows shot up with interest. His lips parted slightly. Blue eyes that matched the sea drew Frankie to him and caused a sensation of dizziness to dance in her head. She was aware she was staring, but she couldn’t stop.

The squawk of a bird broke through the scrape of forks against the dishes and the murmur of voices. The noises faded away. Even the thud of her heart seemed to pause when he nodded to her.

“Attention, everyone.” A server standing nearby with a carafe of coffee interrupted

Frankie’s moment. “MacDyver has been sighted.”

“Quick the food.” Tikki covered their meals with napkins.

Silverware clinked as diners dropped their utensils and popped up their overhead covers–– their futile attempt at protection. As Frankie shoved her chair back to open their umbrella, she peeked at the man.

He picked up his toast and held it for a second. The seagull struck. With one swoop, MacDyver grabbed the bread from his fingertips. A hush settled over the throng, and the bird soared heavenward with a snide cackle out the side of his beak and disappeared.

All gazes fell on the stranger MacDyver had robbed as he rose to his six-foot-plus height.

What exciting story are you working on next?

Currently, I’m whipping my holiday novel, Christmas at the Easy Breezy, into shape for an October release. The setting is the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The story centers on a young woman finding love and family in an unexpected place. Our hero is the gruff, handsome owner of the local diner stuck in the past until the night a pretty, bubbly woman crashes into a snowbank and into his life.

I’m also at work on my second novel for the Love & Lies in Paradise series set in Florida. It will be a stand-alone romantic suspense like the first book. The heroine is a minor character from Trail of Secrets. She has a less than sterling reputation and is discovered at the scene of a murder. The hero is an old friend and a private investigator. He isn’t sure how innocent she is, or if he wants to take her case. She has a lot of growing up to do. Unfortunately for her, she must find not only a killer but her true self before she can share her heart.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Well, it’s often tough to say when you pass the invisible milestone that identifies you as a writer and not someone just filling up pages to entertain yourself. For me, the big realization came when I found myself on a recommendation list with authors I admired and read. Being included with great writers was a super thrill. I kept rereading the listings and showing everyone I had made it! That was an “aha moment” for me.

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?

When I first started writing, I had a full-time job. I wrote every day after work and often on the weekends. Many people asked how I squeezed this in. Simple, creating stories was as entertaining and fun for me as watching my favorite movie or reading a great book. I wanted to do it. Now I’m not working for a guaranteed paycheck, I write in the morning. This gives me the freedom to think about my story and to revise or create scenes differently than I originally imagined them.

Other than typing away at my keyboard, I love flowers, not so much the planting part, but their growth and beauty when they bloom. I also quilt and have lots of bedspreads––you can imagine! Taking pictures wherever I am has become a hobby of mine. Through my camera’s eye, I try to capture an interesting feature or unique characteristic that makes us want to look at a mundane image in a way we never imagined.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Don’t know how quirky this is, but we have a camp up north. When we go there, my friend and I wonder about the people we’ve never seen or met who live nearby us. One time, an older gentleman moved in. He had a long white beard and never came outside. She thought of him as a generous, jolly Santa Claus. I told her he reminded me of a terrorist hiding from the FBI. Another man was always walking around talking to everyone, but we never saw his wife. I suggested she might not exist. And I can’t forget the woman who broke up with her boyfriend. Nobody knows where she’s gone. I like to think she’s at Last Chance Beach meeting her true love.

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

When I was six, I wanted to be a nun. (Yes, I went to a parochial school.) My friends and I tried to mirror the sisters’ habits. We’d walk around on the playground at recess with the back of our sweaters pulled over the top of our heads and the front buttoned up to our chin. That ended when my mother found out I was stretching out all the sweaters my grandmother knit me.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

Thank you for reading my stories. It means the world to me when someone tells me they enjoyed one of my books. And please follow me on social media.

Thank you for being a guest on my blog!

Thank you for having me!! It’s been fun.

Links:

Website | Facebook | Amazon | Twitter | Bookbub

Authors and Titles:

Hot August Night by Joan Reeves, NY Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

Can a chef and a hot dog loving cop resist desire when they’re forced to share the same overbooked beach cottage?

Something New by Liz Flaherty, USA Today Bestselling Author

Their lives are all planned out--until they're not.

I Do…Again by Nancy Fraser, Amazon Top 100 Author

Can they re-ignite what they once had and take a last chance on love?

The Man in Gull Cottage by Caroline Clemmons, Amazon Top 100 Author

Will the solution to her dilemma drive them apart or into one another's arms?

That One Summer by Maddie James, Amazon Top 100 Author

He's the one who got away. She's the one who couldn't commit.

Romancing the Spouse by Jan Scarbrough, Amazon Bestselling Author

Can she turn back the clock to save her marriage?

Blue Sky Summer by Kathleen Lawless, Amazon Bestselling Author

Of all the beaches on the coast, who does she see again? Him!

Hangover Husband by Bonnie Edwards, Amazon Bestselling Author

What happens in Vegas doesn't always stay there

One Last Shot by Marcia King-Gamble, National Bestselling Author

She can run, but can she hide?  Will love still find her?

Secondhand Hearts by Kathryn Hills, Award Winning Author

Life takes you down many winding paths. Will theirs lead to love on Last Chance Beach?

Paradise Perfume by Connie Vines, Award Winning Author

Fragrance and love cannot be hidden.

Dreams of the Past by Laura Hunsaker, Award Winning Author

Can dreams of the future erase her nightmares of the past?

Beach Kisses & Sunset Wishes by Nora LeDuc

She wants someone interested in a fling. He wants someone interested in a ring.

Frankie McKinley’s last three relationships went up in flames. Her best bud insists she needs to relax, have a fling. But Frankie’s not into casual hookups. She vows to resist the lure of romantic Last Chance Beach and take a break from men. She’ll concentrate on her dream, opening a gift shop. Or so she’d promised herself until the morning her gaze locks with the handsome Sean Thomas-Michael’s sea-blue eyes.

Can't Buy Me Love by Hannah Rowan

Things aren't always what they seem.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview with debut contemporary romance novelist Jordan R. Samuel

My special author guest today is Jordan R. Samuel who is chatting with me about her debut contemporary romance novel, On the Eighteenth of May.

During her virtual book tour, Jordan will be awarding a $30 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:

Jordan R. Samuel is a former public school teacher and administrator who enjoys her current work as an Assistant Professor of Education. She spends her days with her husband and her three children as she teaches, studies and writes. She immensely enjoys travelling, and penned many parts of this particular story while relaxing in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina.

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

I would love to! My latest book is On the Eighteenth of May, which is the story of a young woman, Cass, who walks into a small village in the Blue Ridge Mountains on the evening of May 18^th. She shares that she intends on staying one year in this place, and then leaving the following year on the same date. Cass soon meets two precocious children, a caring and generous business owner, and the Chief of Police from the neighboring town. Family and loss are parts of many of their stories, but how these themes are approached or navigated are different for each.

While these people, as well as others, attempt to know and help her, the history and troubled memories of what led Cass to his place begin to gradually unfold. As the potential for love and the pathway for healing begin to become clearer, all will be forced to explore the depth to which loss and guilt may be felt by the human heart. As the date of departure approaches, Cass and those around her will be forced to decide how forcefully they are willing to hold on: to the past, to the pain, and to the person.

On the Eighteenth of May is the story of this single year spent in the small village of Chimney Rock, and of the people and events that interweave themselves into and throughout Cass’s journey and her life.  It is a story that examines the true definition of strength, and what it means to be strong in the face of adversity. It is a story that explores the depths of sorrow, as felt by the human heart, and the extent to which a person’s mind and soul can absorb or deflect the pain of that which is lost. It is a story that explores the perceived helplessness of those within the support structure, and the extent to which those we love can hinder or accelerate the healing process.  Finally, it is a story that reminds us of the overwhelming power of comforting influences in all of our lives, as our human souls struggle, against all odds, to survive.

While currently my plan is for this book to stand alone, I have had quite a few readers ask me for a sequel to the story. This may or may not happen, dependent on the sales for this one!

With this being my first novel, several ideas combined at once, from different personal experiences or interests. First, I was going through a particularly sad time in my life when this novel was first conceptualized, so that was one impetus for some of the particularly sad themes in the novel. While the story in the novel in no way reflects the actual situation I was experiencing with my family member, the mood of the novel certainly does. In addition, I have visited the Blue Ridge mountain region of North Carolina on many occasions, and have found that there are few places on earth quite as lovely as the Chimney Rock and Lake Lure areas, so the setting of the novel, for me, was an easy choice. Many of the ideas for the most stunning scenes of the novel (yes, for those of you who have read the novel, I’m talking about Chapters 27 and 30) were inspired by the beautiful history and stories of the Cherokee Nation. Their legacy and lore is a key part of the love story that unfolds On the Eighteenth of May.

I probably shouldn’t admit it, because I am sure it will come across as a little lazy, but I wrote my first novel to be exactly the kind of novel I would love to find on the bookstore shelves! A sad, sweet love story. Simple writing that keeps my interest but doesn’t make me think TOO hard (I do enough of that at work!) This is the genre I love to read myself! As I wrote the book, I kept thinking – “Wow, I can’t wait to finish so I can relax, lay on the couch, and read this book!” I love simple romances, with a little bit of mystery thrown in.

And as I started writing On the Eighteenth of May, I started picturing all the people in my mind who probably loved this type of book as well and were all just waiting for me to finish! I have already started writing my next novel, The Broken Bridge, and I am happy to share that, yes, it is the same general type of genre. A sad romance that will pull on your heartstrings and leave you cheering for characters even though you suspect, against all hope, that a rough road is ahead – just around the curve.

I belong to a book club and we met recently to discuss a historical fiction that we had just read. I was so relieved when everyone started sharing how hard it was for them to “get into it”. It was then that I knew, I’m not alone. Sometimes we all just need a sad love story to engross ourselves in, as we lay on the beach or sit on our couch or swing on our front porch.

I tried to write the two characters in the relationship with a little detail and a lot to be imagined. I tried to help the reader in getting to know them better and better as the story developed, but not giving away too much about how they might react to a particular situation. And, of course, since the novel tells the whole story through back and forth point of views (from each of them) we get to see a lot more of what each one is thinking than the actual love interest does. Hopefully, it makes for a captivating yet sad love story that will hold your attention throughout.

What inspired you to write this book?

I have never before, in my entire life, tried writing fiction. As a professional educator, and now a university professor, I have spent a great deal of my life writing academic pieces. I have published many peer-reviewed articles and chapters in various journals and books and have very recently published a handbook on research regarding effective online course design. I had always hoped to write a novel, but had never quite made or found the time.

In early 2019, I was busy working on two research articles for my university, which both happened to fall during a very sad time in my life. Not to go into too much detail, but one of my family members was very ill, and was lost and hurting and struggling. And I realized at that period just how sad I was, over the whole situation . . . over my lack of ability to help in some meaningful way and over my complete uselessness to make things better. And so, one day I opened my laptop, but instead of working on the research articles (like I was SUPPOSED to be doing), I started writing a story. A story filled with sadness. A story filled with love.

Excerpt from On the Eighteenth of May:

Lucas reached the competition area and put on a cheerful grin, giving every outward appearance that he had waited all day just for this opportunity. Farley was already at the starting line with a Velcro leg wrap in hand, ready for his partner to join him and sporting a silly smile across his face.

As the other racers gathered around their respective lanes, Farley and Lucas sized up the competition. Most were teens and children, but there were also a few serious-looking adult pairs, all of whom appeared to be sizing up the two police officers as the team to beat.

If only they knew, thought Lucas with a muted chuckle. He and his deputy had come in last place last year as they had attempted this endeavor. Apparently they both had two left feet and a general lack of coordination to boot.

Farley secured the Velcro strap tightly around their lower legs, Lucas’s right and Farley’s left. The two stood side by side at the start line, waiting for the other teams to ready themselves in the same fashion. It appeared the race may be starting in a minute or two.

Lucas heard Farley’s phone ding with a text alert, then watched as his friend read it. Farley’s smile disappeared, replaced by a look of concern. Suddenly, Farley was crouched, unlatching the Velcro strap and readying to depart.

“Sorry, Luke, Kaley just called. Austin fell coming off the bouncy slide and busted his lip. He’s pitchin’ a fit and she needs my help.” Farley finished disconnecting his leg from Lucas’s leg, dropped the Velcro to the ground, and anxiously jogged away towards the children’s play area.

The megaphone announcer was readying the competitors now. “All teams to the line, please. I’ll count down from three to one, then listen for the horn as your start signal.”

Lucas watched as the other pairs approached the line where he now stood alone. He looked down at his right leg where the Velcro strap lay. He started to bend down to retrieve it so he could move aside and out of the way, when suddenly he saw another leg appear beside his. A person was crouched down, securing a left leg to his right one, pulling the Velcro tight and fastening the hooks.

The megaphone announcer shouted, “Three!”

The person was standing upright now, looking straight ahead towards the finish line. Lucas, however, was looking at the side of her face. He felt her left arm reach around his waist, felt her hand as it clasped onto his shirt.

“Two…,” the announcer called. The spectators appeared fully enthralled with the drama of the countdown.

She was silent, looking straight ahead, and now, he too, looked straight ahead and readied himself for the race. Without thinking, his right arm reached up and over her shoulders, found her waist, and settled there in a loose embrace of her shirt and skin underneath.

The announcer yelled, “One!”

Cass turned her face slightly upward and towards his and whispered softly, “Outside legs first.”

What exciting story are you working on next?
I had such an amazing experience writing On the Eighteenth of May, that, yes, indeed, I have started on my next novel, which will most likely remain titled as The Broken Bridge. It, too, will be set in the Blue Ridge mountain area of North Carolina and will focus on a displaced child, her life and upbringing as she grows up, and her journey as she lives in wealth and luxury, surrounded by loathing and bitterness.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I have been writing, on the academic level, for eleven years. Starting with my dissertation, and then followed by numerous published academic journal articles, chapters in books, and even published books on research (one that was just published in January!), I have been writing for quite a while. However, I believe your question may have been “when did you first consider yourself a fiction writer?” On the Eighteenth of May was my first novel ever, and it was published in March of 2020, so I have been “writing” fiction for a little over a year!

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 prefer to write in the early mornings and the evenings. I head to my local McDonald’s with laptop in hand, order a large coffee and write for about an hour. Then, in the evening, I repeat the process on my back deck overlooking a lake (although I do substitute wine for the coffee in that case). I try to limit my writing sessions to about an hour at a time. And then I take walks afterwards to process and reflect on how my writing could be better.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I really have to have people around me, noise and activity and life. It is very hard for me to write in a silent environment, or even one that seems “out of the norm”, like with music playing in the background. That’s just not me. I love looking up from my laptop and seeing real people, most or all of them strangers, as they carry on with their lives.

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

I thought I wanted to be a lawyer. I was probably quite influenced by all the crime and courtroom dramas I watched on TV! I came from a family of educators, so I soon became drawn to that profession and so glad I did! I have enjoyed a wonderful, long career as a public school educator and now as a university professor!

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

Even though I am 55 years old, I like to challenge myself both mentally and physically. Just last week I did a virtual half-marathon. I am trying to teach myself Spanish using a virtual language program. I asked a neighbor to borrow her keyboard and I am trying to learn how to play the piano. I am constantly looking for things to do that will stretch my mind and my body in ways they haven’t been stretched before! I never thought the day would come that I would write and actually hold my own novel in my hand – but it happened!

Thank you so much for hosting On the Eighteenth of May on your blog and thank you and your readers for any feedback or discussion regarding On the Eighteenth of May! I hope you will try it out and let me know what you think!

Links:

Author Facebook | Book Facebook | Amazon | Walmart | Books a Million | Barnes and Noble | Goodreads

Thank you for being a guest on my blog!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview with romance author Laura Brown

Novelist Laura Brown joins me today to chat about her new contemporary romance, A Perfect Mistake

During her virtual book tour, Laura will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly chosen 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 there, too!

Bio:

Laura Brown lives in Massachusetts with her quirky abnormal family. Her husband has put up with her since high school, her young son keeps her on her toes, and her two cats think they deserve more scratches. Hearing loss is a big part of who she is, from her own Hard of Hearing ears, to the characters she creates.

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

A Perfect Mistake involves social worker Nica Anders having a one-night-stand with a deaf man, Cam Thompson. She soon discovers that he’s the grandson, and caregiver, for an elderly client, making him someone she should not have gotten involved with!

What inspired you to write this book?

I worked as a social worker for ten years and wanted to put some of that onto the page.


Excerpt from A Perfect Mistake:

He collected me in his arms. The earlier passion was gone though. This was serious. A confirmation that the desire to mess things up was so ingrained I’d sabotage without trying.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know how to do this.”

“Well, we kiss and then—”

I shook my head, a revelation brewing. “Relationships. I don’t know how. I’ve only witnessed the kind that ends in divorce.”


What exciting story are you working on next?
My next book is titled MATZAH BALL SURPRISE and it involves a fake date for Passover. Like A Perfect Mistake, my heroine is hearing and my hero is deaf, only this heroine doesn’t know ASL!

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Oh, tough question. I think I considered myself a writer when I started actively pursuing it as a passion. Being published doesn’t make someone a writer, it’s more a tiny trophy for all the hard work.

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 write as often I as can, but I have a day job, and a family life, that also demand my attention. Since my day job involves high end window treatments, I tend to have a decent amount of down time where I can get some words in. A typical day has me writing on and off, until my days off, where I try and get a little more in. It’s a hard juggle, but I’m so used to being attached to my laptop that it comes naturally!

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Beyond being attached to my laptop at all times? LOL! I find that the more difficult the scene is to write, the more comfortable I need to be. I try and sit at my desk whenever possible, but I’ll end up in my bed, curled up under covers, writing when I need that extra boost. It’s bad on my posture, and my knees, so I don’t recommend it, but there’s something about that comfort that helps the words flow.

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

A teacher. Then an actor.

Links:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | Publisher

Thank you for being a guest on my blog!

Thank you for having me!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview with romance author Melody DeBlois

Today’s author spotlight shines on Melody DeBlois. She’s here to chat about her new contemporary romance, That April in Santa Monica, releasing on Oct 23^rd.

During her virtual book tour, Melody will be awarding a $50 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 California, award winning author, Melody DeBlois follows the sun. When she isn’t swimming laps, she’s writing sweet and sassy romances. Her heroines are self-reliant and smart and her heroes are kind by nature and love dogs. She lives in California during the summer and spends winters in Arizona with her husband. She has plotted her novels while hiking the beach or trekking across the desert. Her most treasured possession is family.

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

Madison receives acclaim for running a talent agency for people with disabilities, but she doesn't know how to take care of herself. When her altruism becomes life-threatening—a matter of either develop healthy habits or die—she joins a reality TV show that pairs her with hot, raven-haired Brandon. He is witty, sexy, and her teacher. That makes him off limits.

After a successful run on a soap opera, Brandon stepped away from empty fame and now focuses on his work as TV's most noted health teacher. He has one fast rule—never fall for a student. But when he meets Madison, their chemistry is combustible. There's no hiding their conflict or their attraction, especially when it's all caught on film.

The book won a first-place award for Contemporary Romance at the 2017 Diamonds in the Desert Writer’s Conference. It had a different title: I’ve Grown Accustomed to Your Face.

What inspired you to write this book?

I was watching a health coach on reality TV and wondered what would happen if he fell in love with a student.

Excerpt from That April in Santa Monica:

“Don’t you feel the sun’s energy balancing and healing you?”

What Madison felt was Brandon’s body heat radiating through her, tightening her muscles, skimming up her spine. That kind of warmth should come with a warning— exposure might cause side effects. Maybe she could have blamed it on chemistry or like attracting like— called it a lethal injection. She was dying for want of him.

She managed to say, “I see a halo around the sun.”

“Feel it vibrate?” he asked, turning to look at her, and his eyes turned molten-blue.

Somehow, she didn’t think watching the sky had anything to do with it. The heat had gathered at the sweet place between her legs— another side effect of her being close to him. If this didn’t end up in a kiss, she didn’t think she’d be able to bear it.

Drawing in a long shaky breath, she said, “I do feel the vibration.” Oh, did she!

“Being out in the middle of nature, with the birds and the sea creatures, it does something to a person, don’t you think?”

“Amen to Mother Earth,” she said dreamily.

“There’s harmony in the sounds.” His breath seemed to have caught in his throat.

“Yes, a more beautiful melody could not exist.”

“Do you feel your eyes blur? It’s the sun cleansing you.”

Cleansing? Try heating up as if some crazy so-and-so had switched on the gas.

She moaned, “My eyes have become pools of marvel.” No, that wasn’t right. They were pools of longing, no mistaking

What exciting story are you working on next?

I am currently writing Undercover in Venice Beach; Book 2 in the Love is a Beach Series.

Struggling small business owner Audrey Powell has just lost her mother. In secret, she’s returned to Venice Beach to take over the tea house her mother made so special. She’s determined to keep Mama’s spirit of helping others alive. But she has no one to help her run things—until enter Liam James, the hunky poet who works miracles with food.

Liam James is a spy with British Intelligence. He sets up surveillance in the tea house where secrets are being leaked that threaten national security. To fit in with the clientele, he must work under the guise of a bloke who opposes technology. Never has he allowed a woman to get in the way of a mission until he meets Audrey. Trouble is, she isn’t who she claims to be.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

All my life I wrote stories and books, but it wasn’t until my youngest son went off to school that I wrote a book at the dining room table and sent it off to Bantam. It was rejected, but the note was so very kind I felt encouraged. I haven’t stopped writing ever since.

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’ve written full-time for three years. I am a slow writer. I begin with a draft of 50,000 words at least, which takes a month, but after that, my method is one of constant revision. While working my way through a book, I loop back to earlier sections to rewrite in order to remain consistent, fluid, and to maintain voice. I’m trying to step up the process. Most writers only take a few months to finish their books. A single chapter can take fifty rewrites before I am satisfied enough to move on. There are times I want to toss the WIP out, but I just keep plugging along, a turtle in a world of hares, and even when I’m in the last phase of the copy-editing, I find a word here or there I want to change.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I dream a book into existence, in that every night I’m writing in my sleep. And, yes, it gets exhausting at times. Mistakes in the writing pop up in nightmare form, startling me awake. A-ha moments happen around three in the morning—the witching hour.

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

I vacillated between wanting to be an actress and longing to write. In my early twenties, I wrote plays for the neighborhood children. I directed sometimes as many as sixty children, made the costumes, and choreographed the dances. The strange part was I never had a dance lesson, and even with a name like Melody, I couldn’t sing a note. I was playing, but my playing was profitable. We made lots of money that we donated to local charities. It was a good time in my life. I hadn’t yet been hit by any sort of rejection. I thought I could do anything.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I’ve always lived by a quote by Henry David Thoreau:

If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.

Links:

Website | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram

Buy Links:

Amazon - Kindle | Amazon – print | Nook | Barnes and Noble - print

Thank you for being a guest on my blog!

Thank you for having me on your blog. It was a pleasure!

a Rafflecopter giveaway