2015 RITA FINALIST KIMBERLY KINCAID

JUST ONE TASTE

Pine Mountain series, book #5

A little home improvement can go a long way…

Jesse Oliver was a medic in Afghanistan, but back home in Pine Mountain he’s happy to switch gears as the Double Shot bar’s new sous chef. When his apartment floods and his old Army buddy offers the family’s dilapidated lake house as temporary quarters, Jesse thinks a little remodeling on the creaky duplex sounds like a fair return favor. That’s before he sets eyes on the gorgeous woman moving into the other side of the cabin—and discovers she’s his buddy’s kid sister, a.k.a totally off limits.

Kat McMarrin has fought hard for her space, and she’s not too interested in sharing it. Of course, her job as a physical therapist means she won’t see much of Jesse, even if he’s a few thin floorboards away—unless she seeks him out. And with his sculpted body and slow-burn gaze, she might be tempted. Maybe the fixer-upper projects she has planned for the cabin will keep her mind off him. Or maybe her instincts to strip the place down will get out of hand…

Read a Little, buy the Book for $1.99 for a limited time

KIMBERLY KINCAID writes contemporary romance that splits the difference between sexy and sweet. When she's not sitting cross-legged in an ancient desk chair known as "The Pleather Bomber", she can be found practicing obscene amounts of yoga, whipping up anything from enchiladas to éclairs in her kitchen, or curled up with her nose in a book. Kimberly is a 2011 RWA Golden Heart® finalist who lives (and writes!) by the mantra that food is love. Her digital Line series is all about the hot cops and sexy chefs of Brentsville, New York. She is also the author of the Pine Mountain series, which follows small town singles as they find big-time love. Kimberly resides in Virginia with her wildly patient husband and their three daughters. 

INSPIRATIONAL VACATION SPOTS

A little birdie told me that a real vacation spot inspired Kimberly’s PINE LODGE SERIES. For a fun twist today, l thought I’d change up the questions…just a little.

ANGI: Tell us a little about the REAL Pine Mountain. 

KIMBERLY: It’s in the Blue Ridge Mountains, like fictional Pine Mountain, but it’s a small town in Maryland near Wisp ski resort.

ANGI: Which spot on Pine Mountain is the best for getting lost in a book?

KIMBERLY: All of them! No, really…there’s a spot in the house we rented one year that overlooks the mountain skyline, and it’s just gorgeous. Two huge reading chairs and a spot for your favorite drink. Heaven!

ANGI: Can you tell us about a real-life hero you’ve met?

KIMBERLY: I’ve met lots of people I’d consider heroes. But I went on a tour of Lackland AFB in San Antonio, TX, which is where they train Army medics, like Jesse in JUST ONE TASTE. The three medics who spoke with our group (one of whom is female) are absolute hero material. They were very forthcoming and honest about their experiences.

ANGI: Which fairy tale could be set on Pine Mountain?

KIMBERLY: Oh, good one! Is there a fairy tale with a feisty princess and a reluctant hero? I might need to make one up…

ANGI: Which cartoon character would be fit at Pine Mountain?

KIMBERLY: I’ll go with the military theme and say Captain America.

ANGI: What do you like about the hero, Jesse Oliver, of JUST ONE TASTE?

KIMBERLY: All the things! But since I have to pick one, I’ll say his integrity. He’s an incredibly good man, even if he doesn’t see it.

ANGI: What do you like about the heroine, Kat McMarrin, of JUST ONE TASTE?

KIMBERLY: Kat is a take-charge kind of woman, and she lays it right out on the table.

ANGI: What is the best noise on Pine Mountain?

KIMBERLY: The dinner bell! There’s a lot of good eating in that town.

ANGI: LOVE LOVE LOVE IT !!

ANGI: Is living on Pine Mountain a Fairy Tale or Action Adventure?

KIMBERLY: Action Adventure. Those folks are always getting into trouble!

ANGI’S GOTTA ASK: Where is your ultimate-cost-is-not-an-issue vacation?

KIMBERLY’S NAME GOTTA ANSWER: Food and wine touring all the way across Italy. With cooking lessons! No doubt J

FIND KIMBERLY

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ALL WRAPPED UP

Pine Mountain series, book #6

Talk about a hot lead…

Christmas is coming to Pine Mountain—and it has a way of stirring up memories, good and bad. Nick Brennan may manage the Double Shot bar smooth as good whiskey, but his past is a hot mess. When he runs into a burning building to save a little boy, some people start thinking there’s more to his heroism than holiday spirit. And then the local reporter assigned to the story turns out to be gorgeous Ava Mancuso, the girl who got away.

Ava knows what it’s like to have a past. But the changes she’s seen in Nick since she knew him do more than set off her natural curiosity—his warm eyes and gruff charm have her instincts fired up. Still, all the chemistry in the world doesn’t erase history, even when Nick invites her to his little sister’s mistletoe wedding. Does he have a heart under all those secrets? Or is this going to be just another Christmas past?

Pre-Order the book for September 29th

RECKLESS

Rescue Squad

Pre-Order the book for January 2016

PREVIOUS RELEASES by KIMBERLY

GET ‘EM WHILE THEIR HOT

Turn Up The Heat

read a little $2.99

Gimme Some Sugar

read a little $1.99

Stirring Up Trouble

read a little $3.99

Fire Me Up

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the Line series

$1.99 each or $4.99 4 book collection

ANGI'S back next Wednesday with

Nancy Warren

UP NEXT ON GLIAS:  Cindy Nord

~Angi Morgan

Get Lost on Goodreads, Facebook

or @GetLostInAStory  #GetLostStories

KIMBERLY WANTS TO KNOW: What's your favorite vacation spot? Why is it special?

Crew First Fridays: Can You Guess?

Which of our crew did what? Can you guess?

Kat   Angi    Maureen    Clover      Alexa       EE Burke     Lara     Heather      Donnell     Jan     Lizbeth    Jillian    Vicki 

(answers at bottom)

A. Passionate about shoes.                                      

Attends the Toronto International
Film Festival every year.


B. Favorite show is Hell On Wheels                                    
Disc Jockey in former life.


C. Has a Pinterest page devoted to
Inappropriate Things that Still
Make her Laugh.


D.  11th Generation Texan.
Posts 1 picture every day.


E.   Interned with the New England
Patriots.  Teacher by day.


F.  Moved to Texas over her love
of Louis L'Amour westerns.


G.  Takes off to travel once a book
is completed.

H.  Started her writing over love of
Paul McCarthy, Davy Jones,
and Bobby Sherman.
Journalist Reporter in former life.

I.  Science Geek as a biomedical researcher.


J.   Has dangled off a 500 ft precipice. Found
it better than being in a cave.


K.  Has written for parenting magazine.
Court Reporter in former life.


L.  Ruined brand new lawn mower trying to
get her husband-to-be to notice her.


M.  Wipes the floor with her mad mahjohng skills.


Kat-J   Angi-D    Maureen-A    Clover-F      Alexa-E       EE Burke-B     Lara-I     Heather-C      Donnell-K     Jan-L     Lizbeth-H    Jillian-G    Vicki-M

Chocolate Truffled to Death.

Two best friends sell books and bonbons—and solve crimes—in this mystery from the author of Death Is Like a Box of Chocolates…

Hoping to sweeten sales for their shop, Chocolates and Chapters, Michelle and Erica host a reception highlighting a new museum display of ancient Mayan pottery curated by Erica’s former mentor, Professor Addison Moody. The evening has a few hiccups, but the ladies soon smooth things over with ample servings of wine and chocolate.

Yet with the sweet comes the bitter. The very next day, the antiquities from the reception are discovered missing. The professor accuses Erica of having sticky fingers, claiming she wants revenge on him. And she’s only in more trouble after he’s found stabbed to death with one of the artifacts. Now Michelle must help Erica track down the real killer before someone else finds themselves in less than mint condition…

Kathy Aarons is the author of Truffled to Death, the second in the CHOCOLATE COVERED MYSTERY series by Berkley Prime Crime.  First in the series, Death is Like a Box of Chocolates, was a national bestseller, and was chosen as a Fabulous First by the Mysterious Galaxy, and as a Best Book of 2014 by the San Diego Union Tribune.

Research for the series was such a hardship: sampling chocolate, making chocolate, sampling more chocolate, and hanging out in bookstores.

After growing up in rural Pennsylvania and attending Carnegie Mellon University, Kathy built a career in public relations in New York City. She now lives in San Diego with her husband and two daughters where she wakes up far too early, and is still obsessed with the Broadway Idiot documentary, finding the perfect cup of coffee, and Dallmann’s Sea Salt Caramels.

You can follow Kathy on Facebook or Twitter or visit her at: www.kathyaarons.com
https://www.facebook.com/kathy.aarons Twitter: @kathyaarons

Hi! I’m Kathy Aarons, author of the nationally bestselling Death is Like a Box of Chocolates and the just released Truffled to Death! I thought I’d turn the Get Lost in a Story questions over to one of my main characters, Michelle Serrano, gourmet chocolatier and co-owner of Chocolates and Chapters.  

Kathy: What’s your favorite kind of story to get lost in?
Michelle: Anything to do with chocolate, cats, or softball.

Kathy: What’s your favorite movie of all time?
Michelle: It’s probably pretty obvious – Chocolat! It came out in 2000 and explains a lot about why so many people are so passionate about chocolate. I gather a bunch of friends to watch it at least once a year and serve my wonderful truffles.

Kathy: Who’s your favorite villain?
Michelle: Being an orphan myself, I’ve always had a soft spot for Darth Vader. It doesn’t excuse his behavior, of course! Just look at me – I help solve murder mysteries in my small town of West Riverdale, Maryland – with no hint of villainy.

Kathy: If you were given a chance to travel to the past where would you go and specifically why?
Michelle: To the heyday of the Maya empire. Did you know the Mayan people drank chocolate at every meal?

Kathy: What do you do to unwind and relax?
Michelle: I run almost every day and get rid of a lot of my worries on the road. Running also helps me solve problems. And when things get really tough, I try new chocolate recipes.

Kathy: Tea or Coffee? And how do you take it?
Michelle: Like Kathy Aarons, I like my coffee strong. I use a French press and grind beans every morning. It takes a lot of caffeine to solve mysteries!

Kathy has a question for readers: What’s your favorite chocolate delight? Truffle? Cupcake? Flourless Chocolate Cake?  Kathy is giving away a print or ebook copy of Truffled to Death to one lucky commenter. Please remember to leave your contact information if you want in on the raffle. Good luck!

Tattoos or Paperwork with REGINA KYLE

TRIPLE TIME

The Art of Seduction

Harlequin Blaze

How to unravel your straightlaced lover…

Gabe Nelson would be a great district attorney, but his public image is too boring to get voters' attention. Tattoo artist Devin Padilla can help him show off his fun, sexy side, but she needs something in return—his legal expertise to track down her missing brother. She's not Gabe's type, but they can't keep their hands off each other, whether it's good for his image or not.

At first, Devin thinks she got the easy end of the bargain. Gabe's the sexiest stuffed shirt in Manhattan, and his kisses practically set her on fire. But every deal has its fine print. As their relationship goes from business to pleasure, Devin realizes this one won't cost her soul…it'll just steal her heart.

Read a Little, Buy the Book

REGINA KYLE knew she was destined to be an author when she won a writing contest at age ten with a touching tale about a squirrel and a nut pie. By day, she writes dry legal briefs, representing the state in criminal appeals. At night, she writes steamy romance with heart and humor.

A lover of all things theatrical, Regina lives on the Connecticut coast with her husband, teenage daughter and two melodramatic cats. When she’s not writing, she’s most likely singing, reading, cooking or watching bad reality television.

THE WHOLE TRUTH

ANGI: What’s your favorite thing about Manhattan?

REGINA: That’s a no-brainer for me: theater, hands down. Broadway, Off-Broadway, musicals, straight plays. I love it all. The food’s probably a close second. So many good restaurants. My personal favorite: The Delta Grill. Try the duck lady salad. So yummy. And their gumbo’s out of this world. Real southern food in the Big Apple.

ANGI: Who would you love to see on Broadway?

REGINA: I just read today that Colin Firth is rumored to be heading to the Great White Way as Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady. I’d totally see that. Sam Heughan from Outlander got his start on the stage. I’d be nice to see him return on the greatest stage of them all, the Broadway stage. Or how about Joe Manganiello (I actually saw him in a regional production of Streetcar Named Desire and he was fantastic), Matt Bomer or Chris Evans? Sensing a theme here?

ANGI: Can you tell us about a real-life hero you’ve met?

REGINA: I think my real-life hero is my mom. She’s the strongest woman I’ve ever met, the rock of our family when my dad got sick when my brother, sister and I were teenagers. She made sure we always had something we wanted under the Christmas tree, even if it was surrounded by stuff like socks and underwear. Plus, she’s the person who unwittingly turned me on to Harlequin romances. She used to keep a stack of “honor paperbacks” from the library by the door, all Harlequin Presents. The stack was so big she’d never miss if I snuck one or two for a few days.   :-) 

ANGI: Backstage or On Stage?

REGINA: On stage, all the way. I’d never been shy of the spotlight.

ANGI: What’s your favorite cartoon character?

REGINA: When I was a kid, it was Underdog. I loved that show. Now, I have to admit I’m addicted to the subversive humor of Family Guy. I’m a big Stewie fan.

ANGI: What do you like about the hero of your book?

REGINA: I’ve always thought of Gabe as a combination of Atticus Finch from To Kill A Mockingbird (my all-time favorite book) and Alex P. Keaton, Michael J. Fox’s character from Family Ties. I like that he’s sort of a beta/alpha, a guy who definitely has a sensitive side he’s not afraid to show.

ANGI: Favorite musical of all time?

REGINA: Man, that’s hard. If I had to choose one (and I guess I do), I’d say Les Miserables. But that will probably change tomorrow, LOL. I’m particularly partial to it now because my daughter just played Cosette in her high school production. And totally killed it, if I do say so (proud mommy moment). I cried the first time I saw her come out in the wedding gown. 

ANGI: Where do you read and how often?

REGINA: I read every night for about half an hour to an hour in bed before I go to sleep. It helps me wind down.

ANGI: What sound or noise do you love?

REGINA: Rain on the roof. The drone of my window fan in summer.

ANGI: Fairy Tale or Action Adventure?

REGINA: Fairy tale. I’m a sucker for movies like Ever After, The Princess Bride and Ella Enchanted that take traditional fairy tales and mix them up a bit.

ANGI: What was the first story you remember writing?

REGINA: The one about the squirrel and the nut pie I mention in my author bio. It won a contest at my local library. It was a holiday themed contest. I have no earthly idea how I made a story about a squirrel and a nut pie into a Christmas tale. But I guess I did, because I won. My prize was $10.

ANGI: What’s your favorite movie of all time?

REGINA: Again with the picking one favorite! I can tell you the movie I’ve watched the most times. All The President’s Men. I was a journalism major in college because of that movie. I had a still from the movie of Woodward and Bernstein (Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman) hunched over a typewriter pinned to the corkboard above my desk for inspiration.

ANGI: What's your most favorite thing to do in your state?

REGINA: We live right on Long Island Sound, so we do a lot of swimming and boating to the Thimble Islands. We’re also partial to day trips to Mystic Seaport, an old whaling village, and Lake Compounce, the oldest continuously operating amusement park in the United States. 

ANGI: Who’s your favorite villain?

REGINA: Loki. Smart. Devious. Yummy.

ANGI: Benedict Cumberbatch or Chris Pine?

REGINA: Chris Pine. Those eyes! Plus, he sings. Did you see him in the Into The Woods movie? Nothing beats a sexy crooner.

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

REGINA: Inspiring. And humbling. I’ve never looked like those women. I never will.

ANGI’S GOTTA ASK: Your website mentioned that you’ve performed in over 100 theatrical plays. Which character was your favorite to portray?

REGINA’S GOTTA ANSWER: Probably Anybodys, the tomboy, in West Side Story, which I did way back in high school. So much fun on stage, sassy and spunky. And off stage I got to hang around with the guys all the time, since all my scenes were with them. I have such fond memories of that show. Including splitting my pants on stage.

FIND REGINA

Contact    Website    Facebook     Twitter @Regina_Kyle1

Goodreads    Pinterest     Blaze Authors

Previous GLIAS interviews

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TRIPLE DARE

Harlequin Blaze

Buy the book December 1, 2015

PREVIOUS RELEASES by REGINA

TRIPLE THREAT

The Art of Seduction

Read a little, Buy the book

Sabotage…and Seduction!

The Playwright It's emerging playwright Holly Nelson's big break. Broadway. Having survived her traumatic marriage and divorce, Holly is now aiming for success, not love. And any naughty dreams about Nick Damone—the gorgeously dishy star who was her crush back in high school—must remain a fantasy.

The Star For Nick, Broadway is a chance to go from big-screen eye candy to serious actor, and to explore the lust blazing between him and Holly. But life-threatening accidents will force a chain of events that could bring down the curtain on the whole production…or give Nick and Holly a chance to finish the sexy something that started fifteen years ago!

ANGI'S back Monday with

Kimberly Kincaid

UP NEXT ON GLIAS:  Kathy Aarons
and don't miss First Fridays this weekend

~Angi Morgan

Get Lost on Goodreads, Facebook

or @GetLostInAStory  #GetLostStories

REGINA is giving away an e-copy of Triple Threat from your preferred retailer. International giveaway

Note: COMMENTERS are encouraged to leave a contact email address to speed the prize notification process. Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only unless specifically mentioned in the post. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants. Winners of drawings are responsible for checking this site in a timely manner. If prizes are not claimed in a timely manner, the author may not have a prize available. Get Lost In A Story cannot be responsible for an author's failure to mail the listed prize. GLIAS does not automatically pass email addresses to guest authors unless the commenter publicly posts their email address.

REGINA WANTS TO KNOW: Triple Time is an opposites attract romance with a twist: instead of the traditional good girl/bad boy, it’s more good boy/bad girl. What are some of your favorite romance tropes, and is there one you’d like to see twisted?

E.E. Burke's BEST OF THE WEST with Award-winning Author Laura Drake

Today, my Best of the West guest is Laura Drake. A Texan at heart (now in residence), she writes women's fiction and contemporary Western romances featuring uber-hunky bull riders. Check this one out.

A Love as Bold as a Texas Sunset . . .

Ex-army medic Katya Smith has always healed other people's pain. Now she has to deal with her own. Taking a job as an athletic trainer on the Pro Bull Riding circuit seems like the perfect escape from her grief--except Katya doesn't know anything about bulls, and even less about the tough men who ride them. She doesn't expect to fall for the sport, or for one tantalizing cowboy who tumbles her defenses.

For rodeo champion Cam Cahill, fifteen years of bucking bulls have taken their toll on his body. Before he retires, he wants a final chance at the world title--and he doesn't need some New Age gypsy telling him how to do his job. But when the stunning trainer with the magical hands repairs more than his worn muscles, everything changes. Soon Cam finds himself trying to persuade Katya to forgive her past so she can build a future . . . with him.

Here's an excerpt

Katya’s heels echoed as she entered the white tiled hallway. The long, emotional day left her wilted, feeling as if she’d worn this suit for days. And she still had to nail this job. She rolled her shoulders. This next hour would be the crossroads of her future.

Buck up, soldier. She straightened her spine, tightened her core muscles, and marched.

She turned the corner of the white tiled hallway. Her step faltered. A cowboy strode ahead of her, head down, spurs jingling. What Maydelle had called chaps hugged his slightly bowed legs, fringes bouncing. She hadn’t seen a cowboy from the back before. Wide bands of smooth leather curved from between his thighs to cup his butt, creating a frame for a perfect picture. Not that the jeans were tight. They were a working man’s jeans, used and dusty. Which made them all the sexier.

Wowzer.

He held the vest the riders wore in one hand and a rope in the other, a bell on the end dragging behind. The bright red Western shirt he wore tightly tucked at his small waist widened to broad shoulders, his blond hair was cut short beneath the dark brown hat.

Nice. A muscle under her ribs fluttered. Walking behind men in those chaps would be a sweet perk of this job.

He hurled the rope in a sudden vicious burst. The bell clanged and echoed as it hit the wall.

“Shit!” The cowboy squatted, clutching his shoulder and swearing like a drill sergeant.

She almost stopped, to see if she could help. When he rolled his shoulder, she knew he hadn’t dislocated it.

Dr. Cody was waiting. If she didn’t nail this job, she’d never be able to help anyone.

He swore viciously.

“Well. Excuse me.” Figures. No matter how studly they may look, star athletes were at heart tantrum-throwing toddlers. She had two years of locker room stories to prove it. New sport, same infantile behavior.

“Pardon me, ma’am.”

He sounded sincere, but she glanced back, just to be sure.

God save the world from baby-faced men. Washed, blue-sky eyes with sun-squint lines at their corners, a strong jaw, and full lips. Lips, that as she watched, quirked as his eyes took a long, slow trip up her legs.

She faced forward so fast her neck popped. Why do the good-looking ones have to be assholes?

Meet Laura 

Laura Drake is a city girl who never grew out of her tomboy ways, or a serious cowboy crush. She writes both Women's Fiction and Romance.

She sold her Sweet on a Cowboy series, romances set in the world of professional bull riding, to Grand Central. The Sweet Spot (May 2013), Nothing Sweeter (Jan 2014) and Sweet on You (August 2014). The Sweet Spot won the 2014 Romance Writers of America^®   RITA^® award in the Best First Book category.

Her 'biker-chick' novel, Her Road Home, sold to Harlequin's Superromance line (August, 2013) and has expanded to three more stories set in the same small town. The Reasons to Stay released August, 2014.

In 2014, Laura realized a lifelong dream of becoming a Texan and is currently working on her accent. She gave up the corporate CFO gig to write full time. She's a wife, grandmother, and motorcycle chick in the remaining waking hours.

Website:  http://LauraDrakeBooks.com

Twitter:  @PBRWriter

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraDrakeBooks

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/247709.Laura_Drake

E.E.: What’s the first book you remember reading?

Laura: Aside from the obligatory Dick and Jane stuff, I remember getting Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry for my birthday. Loved the story, and especially the watercolor paintings of that round-belly pinto with flowers woven in her mane, standing on a beach with a blue sky background. Sigh. Horse stories were like crack to a horse-crazy little girl from Michigan!

E.E. What sound or noise do you love? 

Laura: The sound of water. Fountains, rain, the ocean . . . but my favorite is the sound of water, chuckling over rocks in a stream. I fly fish (catch and release only-and I still feel sorry about hurting the trout!), I think fully half the reason is just to be out in nature with the shadows of leaves sliding over me, and the sound of the water… Oh, this is making me want to go fishing!

E.E.: What do you do to unwind and relax? 

Laura: Aside from fishing, I love to ride my motorcycle. I rode 100,000 miles behind my husband before learning to ride my own, and I now have more than 100k under my belt!  All our vacations were taken on the motorcycles at one time and we were putting more than 10k a year on them. I’ve been to all the Western states, and Western Canada as well. It’s an amazing way to see the country. Your destination is just an excuse to go – the important part is the journey going there! 

E.E.: Do you have stories that inspired your books?

Laura: Boy, do I have stories! In fact, the first book I wrote, Her Road Home (first book in my Widow’s Grove series), was sparked by coming around a sweeping turn on the back of my husband’s motorcycle in Central California, and seeing an old Victorian on a grassy hill all by itself, shabby and abandoned. Its white paint was gray with age, but it was still regal, sitting atop that hill. I wanted to stop and buy it. Hubby nixed that idea, so I gave it a fictional family, instead.

E.E.: What one thing about your hero drives his heroine crazy? And what one thing about your heroine drives her hero nuts?

Laura: In Twice in a Blue Moon, my heroine, Indigo Blue, makes Danovan DiCarlo nuts because he wants her - but not only is she his boss, she’s a widow, grieving for her septuagenarian husband. Why would a Hollywood ‘arm-candy’ wife want to run a winery, when she admits to knowing nothing of the business? She doesn’t even drink, for cripes sakes! He just doesn’t ‘get’ her at all. Danovan makes Indigo crazy because he keeps lying to her! Every time she relaxes, and starts trusting and caring for him, she discovers another untruth. And a lie out of kindness is still a lie.

E.E.: If you were given a chance to travel to the past where would you go?

Laura: The old West, of course! But I’d want to come back as a man – I’m not sure I’m tough enough to be a woman back then. I’d just love to know what it was really like. 

Cribs Birdcage, licensed under GFDL via Wikipedia

The best glimpse I ever had of that past was when I visited the Birdcage Theatre in Tombstone, Arizona. Have you ever been? It is amazing. It looks like the patrons locked it up and walked away, a hundred years ago. There are poker tables on the main floor, a stage up front with the original red velvet drapes, dusty and falling apart. On both sides, above your head, are the ‘cribs’ where the soiled doves plied their trade. Oh. My. Gosh. Each was about seven feet long, and five feet deep, and had only curtains covering the view to the floor below! Can you imagine? Below the stage is a small room where the world’s longest poker game was held. One continuous game went on there for 8 years, 5 months, and 3 days! If you ever get the chance to visit, don’t pass it up.

E.E.: What dreams have been realized as a result of your writing?

Laura: I’ve been lucky enough to have a bunch of them – from signing at conferences to meeting real live fans (they like me! They really like me!) But the biggest thrill of my life (but don’t tell my husband, he thinks he is) was winning the RITA for Best First Book at the RWA National conference last year! In case you don’t know, the RITA is the ‘Oscar’ of the Romance writing industry, and they are given away at a black-tie dinner for 2,000. 

I figured it was my only chance in my life to legitimately ‘go glam’, so I rented a sequined dress that looked like molten gold in the lights – when they called my name, I couldn’t believe it was actually happening! It was the high point of my life. Here’s a link to my acceptance speech, and that gorgeous dress! 

https://youtu.be/d641Hq_iZw8

E.E.: What drew you to write in the genre(s) you do?

Laura: I write romance and Women’s Fiction with uplifting outcomes. Books have sustained me through some very hard times in my life. I’d like others to know that though it may not seem like it in those moments, things do get better, and there’s always an HEA just waiting to happen . . .

Today, Laura will offer three autographed copies of Sweet on You (mailed in the U.S. only). Just comment and enter the drawing.

Where would go on a "dream trip? and why?"

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