Beth Cornelison To The Rescue!

Help me welcome Beth Cornelison to the blog and get her take on babies, writing and love!

First...the babies in Rock-A-Bye Rescue
Two babies in jeopardy…two powerful stories in one!

When an unhinged cult leader escapes custody, he'll stop at nothing to get to two innocent babies…and the foster mothers who stand in his way.

GUARDING EVE by Beth Cornelison

Lila Green goes from foster mom to bodyguard when a storm traps her and six-month-old Eve in a remote mountain cabin with a killer on their heels. Can her neighbor, wounded veteran Dean Hamilton, help them survive?

CLAIMING CALEB by Karen Whiddon

Michelle Morgan must protect her newborn nephew, Caleb—and even work with her ex-fiancé. FBI agent Garrett Ware never wanted children, but now he'll sacrifice everything for this baby…and this woman.

READ A LITTLE, BUY THE BOOK

     Lila contemplated her painting. She ought to squeeze in a little more work on the landscape before Eve woke up. Or perhaps she should fix her own lunch, she thought when her stomach growled. She needed to get back in the routine of attending to her own needs while her foster baby was asleep or safely occupied with toys.

     She opened her refrigerator and took out a cup of yogurt and a container of leftover Chinese takeout. Giving the sweet- and- sour chicken a sniff, she decided it had become more sour than sweet, and she carried it to the kitchen sink. After dumping the spoiled Chinese food down the garbage disposal, she peeled the top off the yogurt and started eating it as she crept back to the nursery door to peek at Eve again.

      The little girl had stolen her heart at first glimpse. With round rosy cheeks, large dark eyes and a dusting of brown curls, Eve was a living doll. Her heart- shaped lips were parted as she slept, and she snuffled slightly with a stuffy nose. Angelic. Eve slept with her rump in the air and her blankie squeezed tight in her hand.

     Lila’s chest ached again, thinking of the tragedy that had befallen Eve’s young mother. Such a precious baby, born from such a terrible crime. After finishing her yogurt, Lila didn’t linger any longer, though she could have spent hours staring at the girl’s sweet face.

     As she returned to the kitchen to throw away her trash, a movement outside her window caught Lila’s attention. Stepping closer the sink to peer outside, Lila scanned her yard. Ice had quickly built up in the trees and ice-burdened branches hung low. In the last several minutes, the sleet and freezing rain had become mixed with snow, and a thin accumulation dusting every surface.

     The swirling snow amid the zinging ice pellets created a peaceful scene. She saw nothing unusual outside except for the fluttering flakes and thickening layers of ice. Maybe what she’d seen had been a falling branch. A woodland animal?

     Maybe she’d imagined—

     Lila’s breath snagged in, mid-thought, as a large man, clad in a dark coat, jeans and a knit hat, emerged from behind her shed…carrying an axe.

Buy: http://amzn.to/1L0okXJ

Harlequin author Beth Cornelison earned her degree in Public Relations from the UGA, but she only worked in PR for about a year before she moved with her husband to Louisiana, where she decided to pursue her love of writing fiction.

Since that time, she has won numerous honors for her work including a final in the 2010 Rita contest sponsored by the Romance Writers of America. She made her first sale to Silhouette Intimate Moments in June 2004 and has gone on to sell many more books to Harlequin/Silhouette. She has also published with Five Star Expressions, Samhain Publishing, and Sourcebooks.

Snoopy is her muse, and she loves cats, chocolate, and being lazy. Her only son will graduate from college in May, so she has an empty nest (room for more cats?)  Beth has presented workshops across the country to numerous chapter meetings, conferences, online classes and book clubs. She lives in north Louisiana with her husband and a fluctuating number of kitties who think they are people.

Jan Schliesman: How often to you Get Lost In A Story?

Beth Cornelison: Not as often as I’d like! I find it ironic that as a writer, I’m often too busy to do all the reading I’d like to! I save my favorite authors’ books to gobble up as a reward for finishing a book or turning in edits. I finally got around to reading Outlander in 2014 and I’m eager to finish my current work in progress so I can get lost in that series of stories again! (I’m in the fourth book now.)

Jan: Since your new release has a baby on the cover, tell us how long has it been since you rocked a baby?

Beth: My baby is 22 y/o now and about to graduate from college. I drop not-so-subtle hints about wanting grandchildren quite often, and he just rolls his eyes at me. I volunteer to rock babies in the church nursery during services, but the most recent baby I cuddled would be my friend’s newborn at our book club dinner. Babies are so sweet!

Jan: Tell us about sharing Rock-a-bye Rescue with Karen Whiddon. Have you collaborated before?

Beth: I’ve worked with Karen on continuity series before for Harlequin Romantic Suspense so I knew she was the sort of writer I’d like to work with again. When I had the idea of doing a two-in-one about babies in jeopardy, I thought of her right off. I’m so glad she agreed!

Jan: How long have you been writing?

Beth: I’ve been dreaming up stories and getting lost with the characters in my head since I was a little girl. I put pen to paper in junior high school to write my first novel and have been hooked on story telling ever since. I began seriously pursuing publication in the early 1990s with a short break when my son was young. I sold my first book to Harlequin in 2004.

Jan: What’s your favorite Valentine’s candy?

Beth: Chocolate!  The chocolate can be combined with caramel, toffee, peanut butter or rice crisps…so long as the chocolate is the star.

Jan: Does your heroine have any of your character traits?

Beth: Sure. I think a little bit of me goes into every heroine I write, in different ways. Lila’s soft heart for babies and cats is something I share with her. Her love of the mountain setting and having peace and quiet to work is something we share. I’d like to think I’d have her courage under fire.

Jan: Most writers have to find their zone before the words start flowing. Describe your ideal writing day.

Beth: I work best in the morning. With a good breakfast and plenty of coffee as fuel, I get down to business. My optimal zone is when I have no distractions (no phone or music, and no cats bugging me!) and a clear vision of the scene I want to write. Then I get lost in my characters’ heads and emotions and just…go!

Jan: How do you celebrate Valentine’s Day?

Beth: My husband and I have, sadly, become sort of fuddy duddies. We might go out to eat somewhere near Valentine’s but would rather not fight the crowds on Valentine’s Day itself. We exchange small things like cards, chocolate covered strawberries or flowers, then enjoy the evening at home. We’ve been married for 29 years, and romance for us is in the little stuff of every day. Watching TV together, Skyping with our son, going to church, a backrub, a trip to the gym together…savoring the simple pleasures of life.

Jan: 

Beth: Oh my gosh! That would be my dream job (after writing)!  Can I say all of them? J I love ice cream to an unhealthy degree! Anything with chocolate, caramel, toffee, coffee, marshmallows…now I’m getting hungry!  Okay, best would probably be coffee ice cream with chocolate chips and toffee bits. Does Haagen-Dazs have that? Can you send me some?

FIND BETH CORNELISON:

Contact: beth@bethcornelison.com

Website: bethcornelison.com

Facebook: facebook.com/beth.cornelison

Twitter: @BethCornelison

Thanks so much for joining us today, Beth!!  As a special treat, Beth is giving away a copy of her November release, Cowboy Christmas Rescue (2-n-1 with Colleen Thompson) to a US reader! Follow the Rafflecopter instructions below for your chance to WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway