Get Lost in This Story…
The town of Black Rock is under a dark cloud. Four single women have disappeared, and there are no leads as to their whereabouts. Until one evening, after work, pretty real-estate broker Layla West fends off an attacker, and becomes the newest obsession of a deranged serial killer…
Desperate for protection, Layla seeks refuge at the remote cabin of Jacob Grayson, the brother of the local sheriff. A former FBI agent, Jacob still bears the guilt of a similar case gone fatally wrong. Now Jacob’s growing desire for Layla could tempt him into letting his guard down…with potentially deadly results.
Lawmen of Black Rock – Sworn to protect lives, bound to steal hearts.
My good friend and chapter mate, Carla Cassidy, joins us on the blog today! I can truly say that Carla is one of the nicest, hardest working and most giving authors I know and I am so very pleased that she is here!
Carla is the author of over a hundred and thirty books. Yes, that’s 130+, and yes, I bow down in awe of her!!! She has written for Harlequin, Silhouette, Dorchester, Bantam and NAL. This summer at the Romance Writers of America® conference she will receive an award for 100 books with Harlequin and at last summer’s conference, she received the prestigious Centennial award from RWA! Carla lives in the Midwest with her husband and loves reading, writing and reality television shows.
Heather: How often do you get lost in a story?
Carla: I think it’s easier to answer when I’m not lost in a story and that would be when I’m asleep. I spend my days lost in writing my stories and then when I go to bed I read and get lost in somebody else’s story. After I shut off my light to go to sleep I get lost in ideas of stories I want to write until finally I fall asleep and start the process all over again when I wake up.
Heather: What’s your favorite kind of story to get lost in?
Carla: I love romantic suspense novels, but give me characters to care about and a plot to pull me in and I’ll get lost in any kind of a story.
Heather: Tea or Coffee?
Carla: Definitely coffee. If I could have it delivered intravenously I’d be a happy camper and I’d probably never enter my kitchen again.
Heather: What’s in your refrigerator right now?
Carla: Cottage cheese, lettuce, chicken…all kinds of healthy things for the diet I intend to start tomorrow. However, there’s a shelf in my pantry that has Hostess cupcakes, Little Debbie chocolate pies, cheese crackers and all kinds of wonderful carbs that scream a siren song to me whenever I go for the salad stuff. Rare are the times I don’t crash against the carb rocks!
Heather: What the first thing you do when you finish writing a book?
Carla: If I can I try to take a day to remember what it’s like to be a normal, functioning human being. I clean the house, cook a good meal, clean my office or organize a drawer or closet. I use that time to clear my head to prepare and start head-writing my next book.
Heather: What sound or noise do you love?
Carla: A soft rain or the wind through the trees. I also love the sound of a fan blowing. In fact, I sleep with a fan every night. I love the white noise when I’m falling asleep.
Heather: What’s your favorite ‘love’ word?
Carla: For me, actions speak louder than words. I love you, I cherish you, I adore you, are all wonderful things to hear, but it’s the unexpected kiss on the forehead as my husband walks by me, the light in his eyes when he smiles at me, the touch of his hand against mine…things like that ‘speak’ to me more than words.
Heather’s GOTTA ASK – Carla’s GOTTA ANSWER J
Heather: What is something that not a lot of people know about you but you wish more people could know?
Carla: That I can be quite goofy and I love to laugh. I think having a good sense of humor is sexy and I love people who don’t take themselves or life too seriously. It’s a crazy ride we’re all on together and if you can’t find laughter along the way, what’s the point?
And I’d just like to take a moment to thank the fans who continue to buy my books. I appreciate the support and hope to keep writing books that touch and entertain readers!
GOT A QUESTION YOU’D LIKE TO ASK YOUR FANS?
Carla: How much personal information do you really want to know about your favorite author?
What influences you into buying a book or trying a new author?
WILL YOU HAVE A DRAWING FROM THOSE LEAVING COMMENTS?**
Carla: Yes, I’ll be giving away all FOUR books of the Lawmen of Black Rock series!
Thanks so much for being with us today, Carla! Where can your fans learn more about you on the web?
**Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North American addresses only. If an Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) is available, the author may utilize that option for International participants. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants.
Come back again tomorrow, when Angi hosts J.S. Nichols!
I do like to know a little about my favorite authors, not to the point of being nosy though. It's nice to have some background information on the books and where you get inspiration from.
ReplyDeleteI try new authors after recommendations from friends and if there is a lot of buzz on the internet about their book or books I will tend to check them out. I do like discovering new to me authors so I'm always willing to read someone new.
I always enjoy your books and can't wait to read this series.
seriousreader at live dot com
I do like to know some things about my favorite authors, but would not want their privacy to be invaded or exploited.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how many books you have written...there are alot of people in this world who have not read that many books, much less written them!
I don't need to know about their personal lives. I have found it interesting that my favorite authors have similar tastes or interests as myself.
ReplyDeleteI will try a new author if they are recommended by one of my favorite authors. I figure if I like their work then I will like the books that they read. I have found many new authors that are quickly being added to my "auto buy" list. I rarely read reviews unless it is for an author I haven't read before.
Welcome to GLIAS Carla. Great interview! Have fun today. I'm interested in our guests answers, too....considering I'm a new author. LOL
ReplyDelete~~Angi
I like a little personal info on authors I read. Sometimes that can give a little insight to the stories they write.
ReplyDeleteMy best way to find new to me authors is to browse the bookstore (or ebook store).
Linda,
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by! I loved this series and it seemed to resonate with my readers. I certainly hope you enjoy it!
June,
ReplyDeleteActually, it's not so amazing. I just love writing. It's not only my job, but also my hobby. Thanks for posting! And keep reading!
StacieDM,
ReplyDeleteHi! I think it's interesting that you have discovered that many of the writers you like to read also have interests like your own. Whenever I blog on my blog site (which isn't often enough) I always wonder what readers want to know about the authors they are reading. I think my life is fairly boring, so I never know what to say in my blogs!
Thanks for stopping by!
Angi,
ReplyDeleteHey girl! Congrats on your successes. I've seen you around at the RWA conferences, but I don't think we've ever really officially met? Or maybe once? Anyway, I'm so pleased for you!
Carla, I already know more than I should know. lol
ReplyDeleteI want that first Black Rock story because it's the only one I haven't read. lol Do you have a spare anywhere. Grin. I'll be glad to pay for it.
Good interview, Heather.
People like all kinds of topics on a blog. I can tell you anything about animals draw people in. Smile. A lot of animal lovers in this world, and I know you're one of them.
Tanja,
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming by! When you browse, do you browse by a particular genre? It used to be you'd walk into a bookstore and browse by looking at the books. I just got a Kindle at Christmas time and am still figuring out how to find new and great authors by browsing!
Thanks,
Wow! Over 130 books is impressive. I like it when an author shares their hobbies or interests with their readers, especially when they share the books they are reading at the moment. As a writer, I like to read about other authors writing routines and how stories they have written evolved.
ReplyDeleteI usually pick up a book when I've heard good things about it, either from friends or book reviews. My favorite thing to do is browse in a bookstore or the library, first the cover or binding has to grab my attention and then I read the back cover. I love discovering new authors that way!
Sandy,
ReplyDeleteYou definitely know more about me than anyone should! And yes, I'm definitely an animal lover, but I also love cheap jewelry and high heels!
Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate it!
Hi Carla! Welcome to GLIAS :) So glad to have you here today. I would have stopped by earlier, but I made myself clean house before I could get on the computer... Who would have thought one husband and one little boy could be so messy???
ReplyDeleteI guess I think it's fun to learn a little of what my favorite authors like, but really, it doesn't much influence whether I buy their work or not. My enjoyment of their past books is what makes me pick up the next one. Right now, as a writer/reader, I am always relieved when I find one of my favorite authors has young children at home, though, just for the inspiration factor!!! If they can write through this, maybe so can I :)
Hey, Carla,
ReplyDeleteI often wonder at what people want to know about writers too, because most writers spend a lot of time living in their heads and staring at a computer.
But I can tell everyone, Carla is truly one of the sweetest, funniest people I know.
Carla, you are a charmer. I love what you said about actions speak louder than words. 130 books. Your amazing. Would you mind telling us from when to when did you manage that awesome accomplishment.
ReplyDeleteRegarding your question about authors, I think there should be some mystique left. Too much information is never a good thing.
Your book sounds intriguing, oh dear, another download -- my family's about to call an intervention!
Melissa,
ReplyDeleteI can tell you that most of my stories evolve from a single scene that suddenly appears in my head, usually just before I fall asleep at night. And that scene niggles and teases and torments me until I figure out the story that goes with the scene.
Sometimes those scenes turn into something in a book and sometimes they just haunt me forever!
Thanks!
Hey Heather,
ReplyDeleteThanks for having me here! Believe me, I hear you about the one man, one child thing. Since hubbby retired in December and is suddenly home ALL THE TIME, I'm wonderig how two people can eat so much food and make such messes. I don't remember this happening before he was home all the time! He actually thinks people should eat three meals a day...imagine the nerve of him!
Katy,
ReplyDeleteThe check is in the mail!
Carla,
ReplyDeleteAnybody who meets you would immediately know you have a wonderful sense of humor!
I'm going to have to stray from the pack and tell you that I don't read anything about the author of the book until after I've read the story. To me it's nice to know that someone is from the Midwest etc but as a reader all I care about is the story. Does that make me a horrible person? :)
Anne
Donnell,
ReplyDeleteI had my first book published in 1988 so 130 books in 23 years. Dear God, am I that old??!! I can't believe you just made me do that math!
And I think a little writer mystique isn't necessarily a bad thing. However, it wasn't long ago that I finished a book by an author named Cody and by the writing (which was wonderful) was certain that it had to be a woman, but realized when I saw the author photo that Cody was a man. This bit of information only made me more impressed with the writing, because he did the emotions and woman's point of view so well.
Still, there are authors I never want to meet because by their writing I'm so in love with the fantasy of who they must be in real life and I don't want anything to mess up my fantasy. Does that make sense?!
Anne,
ReplyDeleteYes that makes you a horrible person. Just kidding! I guess I'm old enough to remember the time when there was no Internet to do a quick search and find info about a particular writer, a time when all you really knew as a reader was what was on the back copy beneath a picture of the author. And at that time, it was enough because it had to be. I find this whole how much is too much information intriguing because everyone seems to have a different opinion.
Hi Carla,
ReplyDeleteCongrats on those numbers: 130, 23. Truly a great accomplishment!
I enjoy reading about the ups and downs of people's lives––the stuff which builds character and gives life depth and meaning. So even though I want to know more about my favorite authors, I am not necessarily interested in their one paragraph publicity bio on the inside back cover:
Jane Doe lives in Topeka, Kansas with her real life hero and their three children, and dog/cat....
Does that mean writer mystique isn't such a bad idea? Lol!
Hi Carla,
ReplyDeleteSo, you never really answered Heather's question. We ALL know you are goofy and love to laugh. Well, at least those of us who have met you.
I think the best thing to know about my favorite authors is what stories they are working on. I love to find out what's coming next. it whets my appetite and gets me excited about reading a new book.
Gjillian,
ReplyDeleteInteresting that you want to know about ups and downs. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer last year I didn't tell my editor until after I was almost finished with treatment. I definitely didn't tell me readers. However, I did share it with lots of my writer friends. I share it now only in an effort to make sure that women get their mammos done in a timely manner!! It's so important!
Does that count as character building?!
Elizabeth,
ReplyDeleteI didn't answer Heather's question? Heck, I didn't even see the question. What kind of a reader am I?! I'm actually working on the first book of what I hope will be a new series for Silhouette Romantic Suspense. It has hot cowboys and strong heroines!
I'm also working on a single title that I hope will eventually find a good home.
Thanks for asking, Elizabeth...I mean Heather...I mean whoever!
I like to learn lots of personal things about my favorite authors. It makes them more interesting to me, and makes me want to read their books more. A good excerpt will also make me want to read a book.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great contest!
Carla I want to know whether you put sock,shoe,sock,shoe on or if you're a sock, sock, shoe, shoe person. Perhaps you rather go commandtoe. Congratulations on all your success and I hope it continues on and on. Here's wishing you laughter!
ReplyDeleteGretchen,
ReplyDeleteDefinitely sock,sock, shoe, shoe person. But, for dress up stuff it's either control top panty hose and shoes and in summer it's just sandal, sandal. I just knew that somebody would want to know this intimate detail about an author!
Thanks for asking.
Just a little bit of information is fine with me. I'm more interested in the books and the writing process.
ReplyDeleteI usually try a new author if a friend recommended them or I read a great excerpt online.
Congratulations Susan! You are our winner :)
ReplyDelete