What books are on your "KEEPER SHELF?" Remembering beloved books & authors!

Most of us aspire to leave some kind of legacy behind. Authors, I think, hope their stories in some part, are the legacy they leave behind, characters that will linger on readers minds long after they are gone.

Having a holiday (Memorial Day) this past weekend, reminds me of how people impact our lives in various ways.

This past week the writing world said goodbye to Christina Skye. After the initial shock that even authors are indeed mortal...her passing came as a reminder.

 I have on my keeper shelf--you know, those books you read and re-read when you simply can find nothing else that satisfies--Christmas Knight. I believe it may have been one of her first books, if not her first and I immediately fell in love. Its pages are worn and a bit dingy form re-reading, but isn't that what we all as authors hope for our stories?  

On this journey of writing, I've met many people in this industry-from agents to editors, publishers to authors (on all levels )-- the listers, award-winners, international best-sellers....and some who have none of those attributes associated to their names, but whose storytelling is as impressive, just undiscovered, yet.

So, now it's YOUR TURN...

Leave a comment or a picture of your "keeper books" 
NAME YOUR FAV 

"keeper" book 
to enter to win a $50 Gift card from Amazon!
(*that ought to help the TBR summer reading pile!)

Amanda McIntyre

Coming 2018

 On my keeper shelf I have a few gazillion books--Many are research books (another love of mine) some because of the content/storytelling, others simply because I admire the content of character of the author who has impacted my journey in some way. See if you might recognize any of them...

Roan by Jennifer Blake, Colony by Anne River Siddons, Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, Christmas Knight by Christina Skye, Pink Moon by Stef Ann Holm, Your Wish is My Command, by Donna Kauffman, Chesapeake Bay Saga Trilogy by Nora Roberts, and many , many more-past & those in my TBR pile that have made an impact on me on this writer's journey. (* I highly recommend any of these books to your summer reading pile!)

I asked the authors here at GLIAS what are some of the books on their keeper shelves?

~*~*~*

 Angi Morgan


My 1970 Harlequin Presents given to me by my grandmother. The very first western historicals I ever read. Books from authors who are close friends. The Suzanne Brockmann Navy SEALs TROUBLESHOOTERS series. And SEASWEPT by Nora Roberts which changed how I looked at writing characters. Honestly, this barely scratches the surface. I have more than a dozen boxes of books I’ve kept for my eventual library. Oh yes, there will be a library with floor to ceiling shelves!!


Avril Tremayne
First and foremost, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. It's the book that hooked me on passionate romance and I've read it about 50 times. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte joined the list this year after an engrossing re-read! All 12 of the Poldark novels are there, as are all the Georgian and Regency romances by Georgette Heyer. Nobody's Angel, by Karen Robards; Lawless, by Patricia Potter; Devil in Winter, by Lisa Kleypas; This Time Forever, by Kathleen Eagle; See Jane Score, by Rachel Gibson; Dream Man by Linda Howard; and Clandara by Evelyn Anthony.  Now, I think that's enough to be going on with!



Tina Susedik

I have several authors on my keeper shelf: Kathleen Woodiwiss, Lavyrle 

Spencer, Jude Deveraux, Ann Simas, Janet Evanovich, just to name a few. 

Who inspired me? There are too many authors to name and I'm still 

finding more that when I read them, I wonder, 'how did they do that?' I 

think the first author, though, was Kathleen Woodiwiss. The Flame and 

the Flower was the first romance I'd ever read. I was hooked.

Paty Jager


Nicole McCaffery was the author who saw my potential and helped me hone my writing craft. She believed in me before I even believed in myself. 








Jacqui Nelson

Marguerite Henry's Peter Lundy & the Medicine Hat Stallion is on my keeper shelf. It's a copy I've had since I was young. It inspired me to love adventure stories with horses. It also inspired my story Following Faith which is part of the Journey of the Heart anthology released last year. Following Faith features Eagle Feather (a character from Between Heaven & Hell, book 1 in my Lonesome Hearts series) and a Medicine Hat horse that helps Eagle win the love of a schoolmistress who's been expelled from her teaching position in a remote logging camp. 

E.E.Burke

Two authors who have had big influences on my writing style: Jill Marie Landis and LaVyrle Spencer. I have most (if not all) of their American historical romances on my keeper shelf. 

Linda Broday's Men of Legend novels are my current favorites in the Western historical genre. Her grit and determination (which show through in every story, by the way) inspire me to reach for the stars. Her books line my keeper shelf.

There are so many more and I wish I had time and space to list them all. 

A.C. Wilson

Of course, I have favorite authors some of which are Amanda McIntyre, Jacqui Nelson and E.E. Burke (only to name a few). I was reading long before I was a writer, but I am inspired most by the reasons authors choose to enter this industry. I admire their tenacity, their perseverance and their willingness to share the spotlight with fellow authors. It makes me proud to be an author and part of WDR!



Ginger Ring

The author that inspired me is LaVyrle Spencer!      

E.E. Burke's Best of the West: COWBOY BOLD from NYT Bestselling Author Carolyn Brown

With her sassy humor and sexy cowboys, USA Today bestseller Carolyn Brown launches her new Longhorn Canyon series.

One city girl, one die-hard rancher, and eight mischievous kids. What could go wrong?

Every summer Cade Maguire looks forward to opening his Longhorn Canyon Ranch to underprivileged city kids. But this year, he's having no luck finding a counselor for the children-until Retta Palmer walks through his door.

Flat broke after selling everything she owns to pay her father's medical bills, Retta is thrilled to hear of an opening for a counselor position. She's not as thrilled about the ranching part, or the sexy cowboy with beautiful blue eyes who's her new boss.

After being left at the altar two years before by his fiancée, Cade isn't sure he can take another heartbreak. And Retta isn't even sure she wants to stay. But the sparks between them are absolutely undeniable. And with a couple of lovable kids and two elderly folks playing matchmaker, Cade and Retta may find that the best way to heal is with each other.

Here's an excerpt:

   Cade pushed up out of the chair and Retta’s breath caught in her chest. Tall, dark, and handsome came to mind, right along with sexy, sweet, and kind. “Think there’s any truth in that?” he asked.

   Then he tipped his cowboy hat toward her and was gone before she could reply.

   Yep, I could really like this fella. She heard her father’s voice in her head as clear as if he were standing right next to her. He loves kids and cats, and he goes to church on Sunday. 

   “So could I, Daddy, but…”

   There are too many buts in the world, she remembered him always saying.

   “I know, Daddy, but life is complicated.”

   Life is what you make it and quite simple if you just listen to your heart.

Buy it today!

Amazon: http://bit.ly/cowboyboldAMZN
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/cowboyboldBN
iBooks: http://bit.ly/cowboyboldiBooks
Kobo: http://bit.ly/cowboyboldKobo

Meet Carolyn

Carolyn Brown is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal, and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author and a RITA finalist. Cowboy Bold is her 90^th published book. With more than four million copies sold of her books, she’s also the three-time recipient of the National Reader’s Choice Award, a Bookseller’s Best Award, and a Montlake Diamond Award.

Carolyn and her husband live in the small town of Davis, Oklahoma, where everyone knows everyone else, as well as what they’re doing and when—and they read the local newspaper on Wednesday to see who got caught. They have three grown children and enough grandchildren to keep them young.

When she’s not writing, Carolyn likes to sit in plot new stories in her backyard with her tom cat, Boots Randolph Terminator Outlaw, and watch him protect the yard from all kinds of wicked varmints like crickets, locusts, and spiders. Visit her at www.carolynbrownbooks.com.

Contact information:

Website: http://www.carolynbrownbooks.com/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/carolyn.bro76

Author’s FB: https://www.facebook.com/carolynbrownbooks/?ref=bookmarks

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolynbrownbooks/

An author writes a book with the sincere hopes that the readers will truly get lost in the story. That means not being able to put the book down, of remembering the characters and wondering how they’re doing even when they’ve finished reading, and of course, hoping that the new character friends that readers have made in the story will appear even for a little bit in future books.

That’s my goal in every book I write, and as Cowboy Bold debuts the Longhorn Canyon series, I hope that my readers love Cade and Retta as much as I did. Pretty often I drag my feet at the end of a book because I really don’t want to leave my new friends behind, but this time it wasn’t so difficult. They’ll be making a strong appearance in Cowboy Honor and Cowboy Brave so I got to keep them a while longer.

Thank you for letting me stop by and visit with y’all today. This is the day that Retta and Cade’s story is on the shelves. And I’ll be giving away a signed copy of Cowboy Bold, plus an e-book in your choice (Kindle or Nook) so don’t forget to comment.

I understand there are questions y’all want to ask. I’ve got coffee in one hand and a hand full of southern pecans in the other, so fire away.

E.E.: What is your biggest vice?

Carolyn: About twenty years ago when I landed my first contract with Kensington, I thought it was writing. I chose to write under a pen name, Abby Gray (Gray was my maiden name and Abby was my one-eyed black and white cat so the name seemed fitting. What with print being in black and white and I have tunnel vision when I’m writing). But when my first book came out, my sister, who was my huge supporter, called three newspapers. So that vice was out. Since then I’ve been afraid to have a vice, but I have been known to eat a whole bag of barbecue potato chips in secret and drink way too much diet soda.

E.E.: What turns you off like nothing else?

Carolyn: Condescending people who sit high on their pedestals and look down on other folks. Beware, someday that pedestal will come crashing down, and you’ll be real lonely with no friends left to support you.

E.E.: How is it working with hot guys and sexy women all day?

Carolyn: Not just in the day! I often have my characters on my mind as I go to sleep, and sometimes they wake me up in the middle of the night to fuss at me for not getting that last scene I wrote done just the right way. I’m glad that authors aren’t locked up for talking to themselves since those hot guys and sexy ladies and I often have out-loud conversations. Of course, no one can hear them but me—I’m special that way!

E.E.: Do you write while listening to music? If so what kind?

Carolyn: I’m a huge country music fan. Mostly the older songs that have the country twang, but I do love some of the newer artists like Miranda Lambert, The Pistol Annies and Brad Paisley. But when I put on my earphones, it’s usually George Strait, Travis Tritt or a little Jamey Johnson that I’m listening to.

E.E.: What inspires you daily? 

Carolyn: When my characters talk to me that inspires me. I have a plaque in my office that reads: I know the voices in my head aren’t real, but that have such amazing ideas. A famous man once said that writing is ten percent inspiration and ninety percent persperation—I can believe that on the days my characters are silent.

E.E.: What will always make you smile, even on a bad day?

Carolyn: My husband, Mr. B, has a wicked, dry sense of humor. Sometimes he’ll say something that turns my day around. Or maybe if he knows I’m struggling with a scene, he’ll disappear and return from town with a diet soda, set it on my desk and disappear without saying a word. It’s the little things that make me smile.

Now it’s my turn to ask you readers a question: I fell in love with the cover for Cowboy Bold because I love vintage cars and trucks. If you could have any vintage vehicle what would it be?

Remember to enter the Rafflecopter after you comment! 

As a reminder, Carolyn will be giving away a signed copy of Cowboy Bold, plus an e-book in your choice (Kindle or Nook).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal for Craving His Best Friend's Ex Katherine Garbera

One of my favorite parts of publishing is when I get an email from my publisher with the first glimpse of my cover.  I'm never exactly sure how my characters look, I feel them more than see them when I'm writing.  I definitely know their hair color, eye color, if they have a six pack or chubby thighs. :) But the way those features all come into play are sort of nebulous to me until I get the cover.

I was recently talking about covers with my good friend Eve Gaddy.  She always likes images that show her characters smiling at each other and I'm like ugh, no, I hate it when they are smiling.  I think it's because I really like an emotional book. One that packs a lot of punch right in the heart.  Of course, they will be happy and smile during the book but I want to see the moment before they find the happy-ever-after on my cover. I want that intense longing, the wanting each other but know that it's not going to be easy to fall in love with each other.  I want them to both be aware that the attraction between them is going to cost them.  That falling in love with each other will mean that they will never be the same.  Whew! That's a lot to ask of a cover. :)

Fortunately, the art department at Harlequin Books always delivers that for me.  And without further ado, her is the cover for Craving His Best Friend's Ex, my August release from Harlequin Desire.

What do you think?! 

What kind of covers do you like? Tell me in the comments below. I'm giving away autographed copies of The Tycoon's Fiancee Deal and Tycoon Cowboy's Baby Surprise to one lucky commenter.  

Happy Memorial Day!

Katherine

Summer Bride

I've known Stacey Joy Netzel for a few years and we've become quite close over the past couple of years.  We have a lot in common, the joy of writing just one.  Our love of our military is another and since we both have children who have served or are serving now, we started Authors4Veterans last year where we gather 30 authors together, who all donate books, swag and comfort items and we bag them up and take them to Fisher House Milwaukee for the families of Veterans who are treating at the VA Hospital.

So, let's get started, shall we? Have you been on Get Lost in a Story before?

Nope, my first time.

How often do you get lost in a story?

Pretty often, but most times it's my own story that I'm currently writing. I don't get time to read as much as I'd like, but I absolutely love it when I do find a book I can read as a reader and not a writer. I stay up to the wee hours of the morning when I find one of those.

What's your favorite thing about your current book hero?

I'm writing Summer Wager right now, the final bonus story to my Romancing Wisconsin series. (TIP: if you want a FREE copy when I'm done, join my newsletter and you'll get a link to download it when it releases) Kevin Cain is cocky and a bit arrogant with the heroine because her confidence and smarts intimidates the hell out of him. But I like that he has a really good heart, he can laugh at himself when dripping wet after falling in a lake, and admit (grudgingly) when he's done something stupid because he's a dumbass. Plus, once he gives himself over to his feelings for Shanna, he's all in. And, of course, he's sexy as all get out, too.

 Do you have a favorite movie of all time? Tell me about it.

The Cutting Edge is my favorite movie. There are a number of others I watch over and over, but that one is at the top for the conflict between the two, and the romance of the whole story as well. Plus, I love ice skating. Close seconds are: One Fine Day, Every After, Music & Lyrics. (couldn't help naming some of my other favorites *grin*)

 Let's do some rapid fire questions.

Let's do it.

Favorite color?

green

Favorite meal?

Taco salad with guacamole

 Name something on your bucket list.

Visit Alaska

 Dream vacation?

Anywhere hiking in the mountains.

 Favorite book boyfriend?

To many to count.

 Favorite memory.

Family vacation in Colorado 6 years ago.

 Geek or Jock?

Jock

 The most daring thing you’ve ever done… Care to share?

You'd think it would be 2 years ago when I jumped out of a plane with my son who is an Army Airborne soldier, but I'd have to say it was when I got on a train at age 17 to go work in Colorado for a summer. I was shy, had never been out of WI, and didn't know a single person out there. Best thing I ever did. I believe it shaped me for the rest of my life.

Anything you want to share about your favorite shoes?

I love that they're easy to slip on and I like the pretty lace-like straps. I got them in FL when my one pair of flip flops broke in the sand two days into our trip. 

 Do you have a giveaway? If so, tell me about it.

Yes. 3 ebook copies of Summer Scandal, the book just before Summer Bride.

 Please tell me what readers should do to enter?

Just enter the Rafflecopter.

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/47da276137/?

 Let's look at the blurb for Summer Bride.

"He has one month to make his bride fall in love with him before he deploys.

Kyra Sullivan has been left one too many times. If her father can walk out on his wife and children—twice—what’s to keep a man by her side? She doesn’t believe anyone will stay long enough to give her a happily ever after, until one night with Staff Sergeant Dane Owens opens her heart to dream.

But Dane has secrets. Obligations. Orders. Staying isn’t an option, and even worse, he has a feeling he’s not coming back alive this time. An honorable man would leave Kyra alone, but the moment he sees her again, walking away proves impossible. Can he convince her not being able to stay is different than leaving, or is he damned to repeat the past by once again ruining the life of someone he loves?"

You can read more by picking this book up here: 

iBooks: http://staceyjoynetzel.com/bklinks/SBride-iBooks
Nook: http://staceyjoynetzel.com/bklinks/SBride-BN
Kobo: http://staceyjoynetzel.com/bklinks/SBride-Kobo
Amazon: http://staceyjoynetzel.com/bklinks/SBride-AAmazon

A little more about Stacey.

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Stacey Joy Netzel is an avid reader and loves all movies with a happily ever after (Ever After being a favorite). She lives in Wisconsin with her family, a horse and some cats. In her limited free time she enjoys hiking, canning fresh garden veggies, and visiting her parents in Northeastern Wisconsin (Up North), at the family cabin on the lake. Her bestselling series include the Romancing Wisconsin Series, Italy Intrigue Series, Welcome to Redemption Series, and Colorado Trust Series. 

From the Author's Desk

Today I'd like to digress from the norm and talk a little about what it's like to be an author--specifically the part of being an author where I begin a brand new book that's the start of a brand new series. I'm in this position right now--working on something completely different for me, a Scottish contemporary series.  In my case, agreeing to take on this task means a) I willingly and knowingly put myself into permanent panic mode for two years; b) I get many many opportunities to hone my procrastination skills; c) I learn perseverance because eventually I'll have a brand new book.

This post is not shameless promotion for me (yet) since only three chapters of the new series exist, and I have a lovely agent who'll see them first and give the thumbs up or thumbs down. This is a promo for all authors--I want to shine a light on just how off-base people are when theyimagine writing as oh-so-glamorous!

The first thing that happens when I start a new book/series is I get a shiny new idea (SNI). This is  the really fun stage. A place, a character, an idea--anything can inspire the SNI. In my case, the catalyst was a hiking trip to Scotland last summer. I mean, I was blessed to visit the country--it would be unnatural for a writer to ignore the bombardment of ideas.

 

The second thing that happens is also fun. Research. First, into my characters. In this case, three American siblings (two brothers and a sister) whose Scottish mother died when they were all under five. They inherit the family farm in the Highlands from relatives they never knew they had.

Next, there's research to do into the country, customs, mythologies and legends. In the new series, I'll be introducing kelpies (flesh-eating water horses), brownies (house elves that do helpful jobs for people in exchange for food), faeries, and magic. And what have I found? Scottish legends are much darker than many--no leprechans or pots of gold in these tales. Oh, and of course there are kilts.

Once those two (did I mention fun?) things are done, the work starts. I have to write the first draft. The fun for me temporarily ends here. Authors come in a couple of basic types--those who love the first draft process, which is creating stories and worlds out of thin air, and those who prefer the editing phase. I am definitely in that second category. Creating the words is like pulling blood, sweat, and tears from my soul. Revising those words and making them pretty and perfect is what makes writing fun.

The bad thing that happens in the writing phase is that I start to procrastinate, eat, and whine in that order. I'm a big baby when I'm starting a book and my husband is going to heaven for sure because he's so patient with this phase of my work.

Once the book is past the first three chapters, things smooth out for the 100 pages or so. I can breeze along pretty well and get a lot of plot established. Then comes the middle of the book, and I'm back to visiting the refrigerator or the Nutella jar in the cupboard until six chapters before the end. Then, at last, the end is written. A small brag:  I'm pretty good at endings. But maybe that's only relief talking whenever I finish a book.

The sweetest thing any author ever writes is "The End." We love and adore those words--even when we still have to start revisions.

Revisions get done, at least two passes of editing and proofreading take place, the printed copy is read one last time, and then ... we're not done.

Promotion. Now there's a subject for another blog--or to be swept under the rug and never spoken about. Suffice it to say, I have to come up with giveaways, swag, advertisements, Facebook posts, newsletter upgrades, and promoting myself and my work--which I hate.

It's only all worth it when see our book for sale online or hold our babies in our hands, bound and pretty paperbacks. So why do I (we) do this? Some of us can't help it. Some of us love meeting readers. Some of us just like excuses to eat Nutella or post pictures of Sean Connery in a kilt.

But the biggest reason we write is for the rare moments when a reader tells us our stories touched them--made them laugh, made them stay up too late, made them cry, allowed them to escape. That is is so very important to a writer. So--what I really want to say (other than the working title for my new book is "Highland Surprise" -- you had to know there'd be ONE promo moment) is that every one of your favorite

authors goes through a process similar to mine. Not identical, but filled with blood, sweat, and tears to go with the satisfaction. So, never hesitate to tell an author you loved the book. And if you can possibly do it--leave a review anytime you finish a novel. Never know--you might save a jar of Nutella from a crazed novelist!

I'd love to know about YOUR job. Tell me how glamorous (or not glamorous) it is.  I don't have a Scottish contemporary for you yet, but one commenter will have her choice of any of my backlist books!

Have you met Brynn Kelly?

A RISK WORTH TAKING

The Legionnaires #3

He can’t outrun himself…

Legionnaire Jamie Armstrong lives in the shadows. A medic haunted by his mistakes, he knows better than to hope for redemption. But his latest mission brings a threat he doesn’t see coming—an attraction as irresistible as it is dangerous. Hacker Samira Desta is a woman he swore to forget, but as a key witness to a deadly conspiracy, Samira is his to protect.

But the woman he rescues might be the one who saves him.

After a year in hiding, Samira’s worst fears come true when her cover is blown and the unlikeliest of allies comes to her aid—the secretive Scot with whom she shared one unforgettable night. Hunted by lethal forces and losing the battle against their desire, Jamie and Samira make a desperate play to take the fight to their enemy—but those at greatest risk of ruin may be themselves…

READ A LITTLE, BUY THE BOOK

As a journalist, BRYNN KELLY once spent her days chasing stranger-than-fiction news reports. Now she spends them writing larger-than-life novels, in a happy bubble of fiendish plots and delicious words. 

She's a current RITA® finalist for FORBIDDEN RIVER and RT Book Reviews Reviewer's Choice Awards nominee for EDGE OF TRUTH.

Brynn has a journalism degree and has won several other prestigious writing and journalism awards, including the Koru, Valerie Parv and Pacific Hearts awards. Her debut novel, DECEPTION ISLAND, finaled in the Golden Heart. She’s also a bestselling non-fiction author, in her native New Zealand.

SOCIAL CONNECTIONS

| Website  | Facebook | Amazon | BookBub | Twitter @brynnwrites

| Goodreads |  Instagram | Newsletter Signup |

THE Q&A

ANGI: How often do you get lost in a story?

BRYNN: Not often enough! Because I’m a writer, I find it hard to switch off the writer/editor brain—but when it happens, it’s magical. I find that magic usually comes with books outside the romance genre, because I’m not dissecting them to figure out what the author did, or storing away inspiration for my writing.

The last time I was lost was in the gorgeous All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, which had been sitting on my TBR pile for years. I also enjoyed Alyssa Cole’s fascinating historical An Extraordinary Union recently, and was pleased to see it named RT Book of the Year.

ANGI: What’s your favorite thing about your book’s hero?

BRYNN: I like his layers and depths. Jamie’s a wise-cracking Scot who speaks fluent French, a super-smart former surgeon turned medic, and a quick-thinking commando. On the surface he’s a flirt and a charmer but he hides dark secrets and regrets beneath that façade, and Samira has a tough time drawing out the real Jamie. I love how he’s very different from my other heroes in this series—they’re all tortured but they hide their wounds behind unique defense mechanisms.

This line sums Jamie up: “He was ninety-five per cent tease and flirt. It was the five per cent that intrigued her, those flashes of frustration or concern that broke through the façade, like a solitary boom of thunder from a clear sky that left you wondering if you’d imagined it.”

ANGI: What’s your perfect day?

BRYNN: A day spent reading books and drinking tea, with a walk along a beach thrown in, followed by an unhurried evening of eating and drinking wine with friends. Why does that not happen often enough these days?

ANGI: Salad or soup?

BRYNN: I like a busy salad, with a lot going on and a lot of different tastes to discover. Soup can get a bit same-y.

ANGI: Would you put yourself in a Fairy Tale or Action Adventure?

BRYNN: Or maybe a fairy tale action adventure? A kickass princess, a complicated witch, a quest, and an intriguing mix of light and dark.

ANGI: Favorite TV rerun you watch every time you channel surf? 

BRYNN: M.A.S.H. I always find something new to love. It’s amazing how they kept up the quality through so many episodes.

ANGI: Favorite date night…fancy or at home? 

BRYNN: Somewhere in between. I have medium-sized children so it’s a rare treat to go out, but I’d much rather dine at a casual, welcoming neighborhood eatery than a stuffy expensive restaurant. It’s the company that’s important, not the cost, and fancy restaurants don’t have a monopoly on delicious food.

ANGI: Champagne or Soda?

BRYNN: Champagne. But only on special occasions—it doesn’t taste as good unless there’s something to celebrate.

ANGI: The most daring thing you’ve ever done… Care to share?

BRYNN: A parachute jump. It was on a travel trip for journalists, so I didn’t make a conscious decision to do it—it was just on the itinerary so I went along with it. I didn’t really think it through. I was terrified to discover how high 15,000 feet was. Luckily it was a tandem because there’s no way I could have got myself out of that door. I hated the freefall—one minute is a long time to fall—but the gentle float to earth was more my style.

Like any writer, I stored away the experience and used it in a novel—my debut, Deception Island, in which the hero and heroine parachute onto a deserted island in the Indian Ocean. No bad experience is ever wasted when you’re a writer! From the book: “Wind buffeted her jumpsuit, flattening the fabric against her. She didn’t need encouragement to wrap herself into him. If she could nail their bodies together, she would. He’d obviously done this before, and right now the more immediate threat was the deep blue sea—or worse, the land.”

ANGI’s GOTTA ASK:  Where is your favorite writing place & why?

BRYNN’s GOTTA ANSWER: I mix it up a little. Usually I write in my study, but sometimes I need a change of environment to crank up my brain (or get away from the internet!) so I’ll go to a café or a library or write at a window seat in my living room. My all-time favorite spot is on the sofa on my deck, especially on a gloriously sunny and still winter’s day—although sometimes I spend far too much time gazing at the garden, and it’s too easy to get a little sleepy. The one constant is tea. I can’t write without a pot of earl grey.

PREVIOUS RELEASES by BRYNN:

DECEPTION ISLAND

The Legionnaires, book #1

Read a little, Buy the book

EDGE OF TRUTH

The Legionnaires, book #2

Read a little, Buy the book

FORBIDDEN RIVER

The Legionnaires, book #2.5

Read a little, Buy the book

Angi Morgan

Get Lost on Facebook   @GetLostInAStory  #GetLostStories

AND OUR NEW Facebook Group: The Readers’ Spot
Catch Liz Selvig on GLIAS tomorrow

BRYNN WANTS TO KNOW: What do you look for in a romantic suspense?