New Release From Shirley Hailstock

Please join me in welcoming Bestselling Author Shirley Hailstock. 

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Shirley was President of NJRW when I joined in 1995.  She has always paid it forward, encouraging those she mentored to do the same.

C.H.: What is your favorite romance read?
Shirley: This is too hard a question to answer. It would depend on who the author is. I have favorite authors, automatic buys without even reading the back cover copy. To choose one book out of all those that I've read, it too impossible a task.

C.H.: Would you rather watch a Romantic Comedy or a Romantic Drama?
Shirley: Romantic Drama. I love stories where there is a lot of action. This is why I gravitate to romantic suspense when I write. My favorite movie is Casablanca, even though the characters don't end up together at the end of the movie. Don't worry, I rewrote it in my mind, so they do get together. Same thing with Gone with the Wind. Scarlett definitely gets Rhett back. And they live happily ever after.

C.H.: Do you have a favorite reading spot?

Shirley: I don't have a particular place to read. Wherever there is a book, I can read. I usually read in bed because I don't want to go to sleep without reading something. But I read at the doctor's office, waiting for my kid at a sporting event or picking her up from practice. I listen to books in my car. There's no place that isn’t a good place to read.

C.H.: Do you curl up with book and a cup of tea or coffee?
Shirley: Not often. I write most of the time. Time is so precious and I have so many goals and deadlines that when I'm in my office, I write. Reading is when I'm done for the night and crawl into bed. No tea or coffee at that hour. 

C.H.: Do you prefer reading an e-book or holding a book in your hands?

Shirley: I prefer holding book in my hands, but I'm getting more and more used to the Kindle. What I like about the Kindle is if I'm not happy with a book I'm reading, I don't have to go find another one. There's one right there on the machine and I can see if it will be more appealing to my mood. There are some authors whose books I have to hold. I want the full reading experience and I feel I savor their books more when I read them. I suppose you can liken that experience to the past when we didn't wait for the paperback. When a certain author had a book out, we bought it and read it the moment we got home.

C.H.: What is the title of the first book you published? 

Shirley: My first published book was titled Whispers of Love. When I re-published it as an e-book, I changed the title to Under the Sheets. It's available as a download under that title.

C.H.: Do you remember where you were when you got the call?

Shirley: That's an easy question. I'd had surgery and I was tired a lot. I was about to take a nap and told my kids not to wake me. When the phone rang, my son came in and Monica Harris (my then future editor) was on the phone. I couldn't even talk. I tried to say her name and nothing came out, not even a croak. I took the phone and swallowed hard. My voice didn't even sound like mine when I was able to speak. And as to thinking clearly, I barely understood what she was saying after, "I want to buy your book…"

C.H.: Do you have a favorite series that you have written?

Shirley: I have a romantic suspense series called Capitol Chronicles where the majority of the stories take place in Washington, DC. I lived in the capital for many years and love the energy of the place. Setting books there seemed natural to me. Capitol Chronicles is a set of five novels and one novella.

C.H.: Any favorite character or characters that still wake you up at night?

Shirley: Jack Temple. He's the hero of More than Gold. Below is a question on whether I'm a plotter or a pantser. This book I plotted out, but somewhere along the way, I got off the guidelines and started writing as a pantser. Jack Temple was more real to me than any other character I'd written. I still think about that book. It's definitely a keeper for me, but if I hadn't written it, it would still be on my keeper shelf.

C.H.: Do you prefer to plot out your stories, or do you just wing it?
Shirley: I'm a plotter. I love to have the entire story in my head and know where I'm going when I sit down to write. I feel it helps me write faster since I'm not looking at a blinking cursor and wondering what comes next. Writers know there is no wrong way to write, only your way of doing it. Pantsers, those who like the story to unfold for them as it does for the characters, are doing it their way and that works. But for me, I plot.

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Meet Shirley:

Shirley Hailstock, best-selling, award-winning novelist, holds a bachelors degree in Chemistry from Howard University in Washington, D.C. and an MBA in Chemical Marketing from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ. Her initial wish was to join the space program.

Hailstock is a past president of Romance Writers of America, the largest genre writing organization in the world with more than 10,000 members. She's active locally and nationally, having served on the National Board of Directors for seven years. She is also a past president of the New Jersey Romance Writers and a past officer of Women Writers of Color. She writes contemporary romantic suspense, paranormal, historical romance and mainstream women's fiction.

Under the Sheets, Hailstock's debut romantic suspense received critical acclaim from the Gothic Journal, Romantic Times Magazine, Affaire de Coeur, Rendezvous and Booklist. Hailstock is one of the authors of the inaugural line of ethnic romances initially published by Pinnacle Books, but is now part of Harlequin Enterprises' family of imprints.  Under the Sheets, winner of the HOLT Medallion from the Virginia Romance Writers, is now in its 4th printing and was optioned for a television movie (option expired).

Clara’s Promise, Hailstock’s first historical romance, won the Utah Romance Writers' Heart of the West Award. Her other novels continue to make best-seller lists and garner awards including the Romantic Times Award as the Best Multicultural Romance and the Waldenbooks Award. Additionally, Hailstock holds a Career Achievement Award from Romantic Times Magazine, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the New York City Chapter of RWA, and an Emma Merritt Service Award from RWA.  Her novel, Legacy, is listed as one of the 100 Greatest Romance Novels of the 20th Century.

Hailstock is the author of over 40 novels and novellas. Living in Central New Jersey, Hailstock has been an Adjunct Professor of Accounting at Rutgers University, New Brunswick campus and Novel Writing at Middlesex County College and Seton Hill University.

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Where to find Shirley:

Website link: http://www.shirleyhailstock.net 

E-mail: shirleyhailstockfan@gmail.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/shailstock Twitter:  @shailstock
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Here's the Blurb for Shirley's
November 5th Release: 

Melissa wants to believe in the legend of the fountain waters, but nothing ever happened to her in True Springs. Spiriting off to Hawaii, she's surrounded by flyboys and the women they see when on the island. Melissa refuses to be one of them. Then pilot Jordan Scott steps into her world. Will she use the vials of water from the spring and take the chance that he is her ticket to true love?

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Read an Excerpt:

Hot Nights in Honolulu - Excerpt

by

Shirley Hailstock

Chapter 1

            Midnight had come and gone. Most of the sun worshipers were asleep. Usually the hotel was quiet. During the day, tourists rushed about seeing the island, lazed on the beach or climbed Diamond Head Mountain. Thousands of ergs of energy they never would have used if they'd remained in their homes on the U.S. mainland or some other country. But Hawaii was different. The islands were beautiful and the tourists' time on them would be short. They needed to see all there was to see before planes took them back to reality. Consequently, when the sun set, they faded fast. Some went out to the shows, but most were asleep by now.

            However, the guest in room 1850 was obviously not like the normal clientele Melissa Wyman encountered on the night shift.

            "Him again?" she asked as Hailee dropped her headset on the counter.

            Hailee nodded. "He's called three times in the last ten minutes.

            "What's his problem?" Melissa asked.

            "He says the sink doesn't work properly. I've called engineering, but you know they have a skeleton crew on staff at this time and no one picked up."

            "I'll take care of it?" Melissa said.

            "Are you sure?" Hailee frowned.

            "Of course, I'm sure. I can fix anything in this hotel, including Mr. 1850."

Buy Link for Hot Nights in Honolulu:

https://books2read.com/Honolulu-TTTL