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!
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.
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.
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
