Cynthia D' Alba Two Steps her way into Get Lost in a Story

Hello, everyone:  We've got a star in the house.  (Cyndi's Note:  HA! Star?  Not hardly) .  Would you quit interrupting me?  This is my intro, now knock it off.
Now where were we?  Oh, yes. Our guest today is a very popular lady who has worked as hard for other authors as she has on her own career.  So now it's her turn, which makes me happy.  Let's give a big ol' two-stepping welcome to Cynthia D'Alba, author of TEXAS TWO STEP!  ~ Donnell


Their love never died, but her secrets could break his trust beyond repair.   

AboutTexas Montgomery Mavericks, Book 1


After six years and too much self-recrimination, rancher Mitch Landy is ready to admit he was wrong.  He'd loved Olivia Montgomery, but commitment wasn't high on his list back then.  That was his first mistake.  He's just divorced his second, and he's set to do whatever it takes to convince Olivia to give him another try.  


Through hard work, determination and more than a few tears, Olivia survived the break-up with Mitch.  She's rebuilt her life around her business and the son she loves more than life itself.  She's not proud of the mistakes she's made--particularly the secrets she's kept--but when life hands you manure, you use it to make something better of yourself. . .lest you get stuck in it.


At a hot, muggy Dallas wedding, they reconnect.  Olivia's first instinct is to play it cool, but after one devastating kiss things flare out of control, real fast.  Maybe a quick roll in the hay will get him out of her system once and for all.  Funny thing about hay though, once it's tangle in your hair, getting it out risks revealing things that were never meant to see the light of day.

Warning:  Contains hot sex, a vindictive ex-wife, and hot chocolate chip cookies.

FUN GET TO KNOW YOU QUESTIONS:

DONNELL:  Welcome friend.  What's your favorite room in your house?
 
 CYNTHIA:  My favorite place ISN'T in my house!  It's on the swing on my deck.  Want to see? 

DONNELL:  Okay, thanks a lot.  I'm just green.  Where were you born?

CYNTHIA:  In a hospital?  Where were you born? ;)

DONNELL:  (What are you...2?  Behave.)  Coffee or tea?

CYNTHIA:  Champagne.

DONNELL:  (Sigh.) What's in your refrigerator right now?

CYNTHIA:  See the above answer.

DONNELL:  Are you a good dancer?

CYNTHIA:  Am I sober?  Not so much.  Drunk?  I'm awesome!

DONNELL:  Speaking of dancing, you don't know this yet, but ABC heard about TEXAS TWO STEP and added you to Dancing with the Stars.  Who's your partner?

CYNTHIA:  Honest confession...I've only watched DWTS for one season, but my oh my, could those men move it! It would be hard to pick one but if REQUIRED to pick just one (and of course we would win the season we danced!), I'll go with either Maksim Chmerkovskly or Derek Hough.  Both were so supportive of their dancing partners.

DONNELL:  Follow up dancing comments with, high heels or hiking boots.

CYNTHIA:  Bare feet.

DONNELL:   What makes a hero?

CYNTHIA:  For me, a hero is made up of a variety of traits.  No singular trait defines a hero.  He's a man who knows what he wants and goes for it.  A man who loves with every fiber of his being.  A protector of the people he loves.  But he has a wonderful sense of humor, about himself and the world around him.  He's fair and honest.  For my writing, all my heroes have great bods, beautiful eyes and dance like a dream.  In my real life, he wears glasses, sometimes a pair on his head while another sits on his face.  He stops what he's doing to find a picture of our dogs for this post.  He loves me with all my faults, bad moods, and even worse jokes.  He reads my books and tells me they are wonderful.  He has patience beyond description.  A hero is the love of your life.  Want to see mine?

DONNELL:  Okay, I love version two.  Rule number one on this blog is you do NOT make interviewer cry.  Now Ms. would you please, focus.  

This is your debut novel.  What's the one thing you want to share with readers that you didn't know before?

CYNTHIA:  Writing fiction is SO much harder than I thought it would be.  Some people may be aware that I have a slew of degrees (BS, MS, MBA, EdD).  I thought writing my doctoral dissertation would be the toughest writing task I ever tackled.  Not so!  Fiction writing wins hands down.

DONNELL:  Cat or dog person?

CYNTHIA:  Own dogs but love cats.  Can't have a cat because of a mean parrot.  Want to see pictures of my "children?"

DONNELL:  If you could meet one person in this world, past or present, who would it be?

CYNTHIA:  This was the toughest of all the questions!  I've been fortunate to meet so many people in my lifetime.  Rather than meet a new person, I'd like a day to visit with my grandmothers (both deceased.)  There ar eso many questions I'd like to ask them. . .so much family history I'd like to know NOW that I didn't care about when I was younger.  Lesson learned . . .PEOPLE!  Listen up!!  If your grandparents are still alive. . .GO TALK TO THEM!  Listen to their stories.  Ask them about dating, marriage, political happenings, anything and everything you can think of.

 DONNELL.  In violation of Rule No. One again.  Cynthia, now it's your turn.  We need a question for readers.


QUESTION FOR READERS:  I suspect it's a question many authors want to know:  How do you find a new author?  Do you read the reviews at book review blogs?  Reviews at online book stores like Amazon or Barnes & Noble?  What suggestions do you have to this newbie author on how to draw attention to my book AND get people to buy it.

Answer Cynthia's question and those who do will be entered in a drawing to win TEXAS TWO STEP!!!

Texas Two Step is available at Samhain, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble or your favorite online bookstore.  Here’s Cyndi hoping everybody buys Texas Two Step! Cyndi, it's been our pleasure!  Best wishes on fabulous sales and come see us on book two. Note: 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.

DON’T FORGET to FOLLOW us on Twitter (#GetLostStories) or LIKE us on Facebook to keep up with all our guest authors and their prizes. Join Angi tomorrow as she hosts Susan Gee Heino, Donnell on Thursday as I host Judith Arnold and on Friday, stop in because Jill is hosting DeAnna Cameron!  


Come back often to GET LOST IN A STORY!

Debra Mullins!!!

Get Lost in This Story…

Having already been deceived by a heartless fiancé, Genevieve Wallington-Willis knows better than to trust any man—which is why her attraction to John Ready is so very disturbing. Though devilishly handsome, he is far too mysterious—and a humble coachman, no less! But one inadvertent kiss and Genevieve is lost.

John dares not reveal his true identity to anyone or it's the gallows for certain! He must concentrate on clearing his name—and prevent the fiend who sullied it, the notorious Raventhorpe, from working his evil on another innocent victim. But being this close to the clever, courageous, and exquisite Miss Wallington-Willis is driving him to distraction. And surrendering to his desire—not to mention to love—may prove the most dangerous risk of all.

I am thrilled to host fellow historical author, Debra Mullins, on the blog today.

Born in New York City as the oldest of four sisters, Debra Mullins moved to New Jersey with her family when she was 4 years old and lived there most of her life. She wrote her first historical romance during her seventh grade English class. That story went on to become her first published novel, Once a Mistress.

Since the publication of her first novel in 1999, Mullins has written a total of 14 historical romances for Avon Books. She has been nominated for awards in some of the most prestigious writing contests for romance writers, such as the Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart® and RITA® awards, and the Virginia Romance Writers' Holt Medallion. In 2003 she won the New Jersey Romance Writers' Golden Leaf Award for Best Historical for her book A Necessary Bride.

Recently she accepted an offer from Tor books to write a contemporary paranormal trilogy, the first of which hits the shelves in August 2012. An avid computer geek, Debra lives in California with her family.

Isn’t that the most fascinating bio? Well, there’s more to come. Let’s get right to The Get Lost Interview…

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

Debra: The Quiet Man with John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara

Heather: How often to you get lost in a story?

Debra: All the time. Everything is a story, every book, TV show, movie, conversation

Heather: What turns you off like nothing else?

Debra: Entitlement, people who feel they can break the rules that everyone else is expected to follow.

Heather: Where do you read and how often?

Debra: I read everywhere, every chance I get. Lately I have been reading a lot in the car on the way to work, especially since I got my Kindle. I carpool, so I’m not driving! <G>

Heather: What sound or noise do you love?

Debra: Rain on the roof on a day when I don’t have to go out in it. <G>

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

Debra: Yes, I write while listening to music. This was a habit I developed when my children were little and we had a small apartment with my computer in the living room. I’d write at night when my husband came home, and headphones helped shut out the TV. <G>The type of music varies depending on the book I am writing and the mood I am trying to create on the page.

Heather: What was the first story you remember writing?

Debra: A pirate novel entitled Vagabond Love that I wrote in 7^th grade. That book eventually developed into my first published novel, Once A Mistress, which will soon be re-released as an e-book by Samhain Publishing.

Heather: If you couldn’t be a writer anymore, what profession would you take up?

Debra: I actually have a day job in technical support, so I think I would follow that career path.

Heather: What’s the first thing you do when you finish writing a book?

Debra: Sit in front of the TV. Since I work full time, I spend a lot of evenings writing my books. Being able to watch a marathon of Buffy or Angel or NCIS is my idea of heaven.

Heather: What is your favorite tradition from your childhood that you would love to pass on or did pass on to your children?

Debra: Corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day while The Quiet Man is on TV.

Heather: Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing?

Debra: Yes, I read reviews, usually around the time the book is due out. While I try not to internalize the negative stuff, seeing the same comment in several reviews might help me learn as a writer.

Heather: Tea or Coffee? And how do you take it?

Debra: Never coffee, always tea. Black tea, not herbal, with milk (not cream!) and Splenda.

Heather: Have you ever written a character who wasn’t meant to be a hero/heroine but he/she wouldn’t go away?

Debra: There were two, and they both ended up in the same book: Jedidiah Brown and Susannah Calhoun from The Lawman’s Surrender (which also will be released in e-format from Samhain in the near future). Both of them were supposed to be walk-on characters. Well, they walked on and never walked off!

Heather: What is your favorite cheese?

Debra: Fresh mozzarella

Heather: Dog person or cat person?

Debra: Cat person, though I like dogs, too.

Heather: Which is your favorite language other than your native language?

Debra: I love French. I was a language nerd in high school (I speak four, counting English), and I got to spend a summer as an exchange student in Provence when I was sixteen. French will always hold a special place in my heart.

Heather’s GOTTA ASK – Debra’s GOTTA ANSWER J

Heather: So, I noticed on your website that we have something in common: a secret desire to be a torch singer! So set the scene for us…if voice were no object, where would you sing, what would you wear and most importantly, what song would you choose?

Debra: I love to sing, but hate to stand on a stage in front of people! But in my fantasy I wear a slinky, silky evening dress (and have the body to rock it!), and I’d sing some bluesy number like “Why Don’t You Do Right?” or “Crazy.” Maybe in a dimly lit piano bar or blues club.

GOT A QUESTION YOU’D LIKE TO ASK YOUR FANS?

Debra: What is the one thing you can’t resist in a hero? For me, it’s secret identities J

WILL YOU HAVE A DRAWING FROM THOSE LEAVING COMMENTS?**

Debra: I am giving away a set of the first two books of the Nevarton Chase series, which includes Tempting A Proper Lady and Too Wicked To Love.

Thanks so much for being with us today, Debra! Where can your fans learn more about you on the web?

Website: www.debramullins.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/debramullins

Facebook: www.facebook.com/debramullins

**Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North American addresses only. If an Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) is available, the author may utilize that option for International participants. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants.

Join us tomorrow when Cat hosts Susan Sey!

HelenKay Dimon

GUNS AND THE GIRL NEXT DOOR
Harlequin Intrigue, January ‘11
ISBN: 0373695217

Before the recovery project was even up and running, its first case exploded on the scene Agent Holden Price didn't have to go far to find his next case—it crashed right into his living room! Not only had the beautiful blonde lost control of her car, but if she was telling the truth, someone was also trying to kill her. As a recovery agent, he had an obligation to investigate. And he couldn't deny that Mia Landers interested him more than she should.

Nothing made sense to Mia—especially not the attempt on her life. All she could do was trust Holden, the tall, dark and devastating agent who discovered that he and Mia had a common enemy…and a fierce attraction. But in order to act on it, they'd first have to come face-to-face with their darkest fears and a deadly revelation that might put their newfound love on the line.

WANT TO GET LOST IN THE STORY?
Holden Price leaned his head back against his couch and threw his baseball in the air for what felt like the hundredth time. Much more of this and his catching hand would go numb.

Being on paid leave was not his idea of a good time. More like torture.

Up until two months ago he'd worked undercover with the Recovery Project, an off-the-books government agency fronting as an antique salvage operation. He found missing people for a living, those on the run who didn’t want to be found and those who were desperate for rescue.

One case gone wrong and pencil-pushing higher-ups disbanded the Project and subpoenaed his boss, Rod Lehman, to Capitol Hill for top secret congressional subcommittee hearings. It all sounded like a load of bureaucratic crap to Holden.

He spent his twenties in the Army and the first four years of his thirties at the Project. Without the routine of work the last few weeks dragged. He couldn’t remember ever being this bored.

The ball thumped against his palm before he whipped it into the air again. The seam turned end over end as it traveled halfway to his family room ceiling. It ran out of ompf and began falling back down just as the lights on his outside alarm system flickered to life on the panel next to the door.

Shrill beeps filled the room and kept right on cycling. When tires squealed outside the large double window across from him, Holden lifted his head. Saw the blinding headlights weaving and shifting straight up his lawn.

The sights and sounds refused to register in his brain. By design, his cabin sat in the middle of nowhere. He dealt with dangerous people and life threatening situations. The unsettling mix had convinced him long ago to set up a sanctuary, a place of peace known only to a few friends who also happened to be gun-carrying colleagues.

And now someone was violating the safety zone he created, using more than three thousand pounds of automobile as a weapon to do it.

He scrambled off the cushion and grabbed for the gun in his side table. He hit the floor on his right shoulder just as the sedan smacked into and through his front door. The crashing boom rattled the cabin's foundation.

The wood creaked and splintered. Studs crumbled. The lights dimmed as the exposed wires fell from the smashed ceiling panels and pushed the electricity to the breaking point.

With dust flying and pieces of furniture scattered everywhere, Holden sat still, his back to what was left of the couch and his gun aimed at the bowed head in the front seat of the car. Long blond hair mixed with the broken windshield glass even as the white knuckle grip continued its hold on steering wheel.

His attacker was a she.

And possibly dead.

THERE’S MORE: HelenKayDimon.com

WHO IS HELENKAY DIMON?
Bestselling and award-winning author HelenKay Dimon spent twelve years in the most unromantic career ever – divorce lawyer. After dedicating all that time and effort to helping people terminate relationships, she is thrilled to write romance novels full time. Her debut novella appeared in the April 2006 Brava anthology release, WHEN GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO BAD BOYS with Lori Foster and Erin McCarthy. Since then she has sold more than twenty-five books to Kensington®, Berkley®, Harlequin® and Samhain®. Her books have been featured at E! Online and in the Chicago Tribune, and she has had two books featured as "Red-Hot Reads" in Cosmopolitan Magazine. When not writing, she teaches fiction and romance writing at MiraCosta College and UCSD and generally wastes a lot of time watching bad SyFy channel movies.


AND NOW FOR THE FUN STUFF
ANGI: How often to you get lost in a story?
HELENKAY: When I'm writing a story, that's exactly what happens. I start thinking about the characters and plot all the time. I know I'm entrenched when the dialogue plays in my head even when I'm showering or walking the dog. At that point, I have to get the words on the page as fast as possible. I want it all down so I don't lose it. In fact, I get so lost in a story while writing that when I'm done I experience a sort of memory loss. Once I turn in a book I can't really tell you what's in it with any specificity. It's as if all of my energy went to writing it down and there's nothing left in my head. I'm always surprised when I read it again at the copyedit stage.

ANGI: And when you don’t have your author cap on?
HELENKAY: One of my favorite things is to get lost in a book as a reader. That feeling where I read and don't want to put it down because I am dying to know what happens next...is there anything better? The more I read the harder it gets for me to separate the reader me from the author me and let myself fall into a book, but when it happens it's pure magic.

ANGI: What’s the first book you remember reading?
HELENKAY: I actually can't remember my first book ever. I've always been an avid reader (thank you, mom!). My parents never said no to buying a book and never censored what I read. We talked about it when they thought the book might be older than I should read, but they were very open when it came to books. That fed my love for reading and I am eternally grateful.

ANGI: And, uhm...just how old were you when you read your first romance?
HELENKAY: Now, I do have an admission: I never read a romance until I was about 30 years old. I was a mystery and thriller reader then one day a co-worker handed me three romances – Daniel's Bride by Linda Lael Miller, Perfect Partners by Jayne Ann Krentz and The Bride by Julie Garwood – I read them and I was hooked on the genre. So, I don't remember my first book but I do remember those first romance novels.

ANGI: What’s your favorite “love” word?
HELENKAY: It's not a traditional love word, but my favorite is hope. People ask me all the time why I write and read romance. The answer is easy. Romance is about hope, about showing the transformative power of love. It can be a tough world. We all need to know love is possible, that there's hope. Romance novels provide that.

ANGI: What turns you off like nothing else?
HELENKAY: I love alpha males. Love, love, love them. A hero can he tough and demanding and a wee bit controlling. He can like to get his way and handle any situation, but he absolutely can't be abusive. There is a line. Abuse is not sexy and certainly isn't romantic.

ANGI: Where do you read and how often?
HELENKAY: I read all the time. I truly believe to be a good writer you need to read. You need to know what's out there and what works. Also, I just plain enjoy reading. I can do it anywhere. I have a kindle and still buy many (too many!) print books. I have a TBR pile big enough to take down a wall in my house if it ever falls over. I just hope it never falls over.

ANGI: What was the first story you remember writing?
HELENKAY: I am not one of those authors who wrote their first books at age four. Nope, that's not me. I didn't start writing until after I started reading romance. Yeah, I'm a late bloomer in this career. That first book was a mismatched mess. I didn't read craft books or do any research before I started. I just let myself dive in, knowing I would never submit it to a publisher. It was about 500 pages long and the heroine's name changed two times, but I did it! And then I got the bug. I wanted to keep writing and do it well. From the time I decided to make a push to get published it took me 18 months to sell.

ANGI: What’s your favorite movie of all time?
HELENKAY: I love movies. I can watch a bad movie without blinking. But there is one movie I think about often and have to watch every now and then: Love, Actually. The intersecting stories and bittersweet endings to a few of them makes me wish I'd written the screenplay. And Colin Firth is in it. That alone makes it a must-see.

ANGI: Be honest, when reading 1st person...do you miss the hero’s POV?
HELENKAY: I truly appreciate and am impressed with authors who write first person well, but I have to be honest...romance is all about the hero for me. I want him damaged and imperfect. He should be bone-deep decent but difficult to read on the surface. I want to be in his head, see what he sees and watch the internal struggle as his world falls apart and he falls for a woman who can help make him whole. I can only get that in-depth view by having his point of view.

ANGI: Is writing or story-telling easier for you?
HELENKAY: Story-telling. Definitely. I can come up with the story and tell it without blinking. Doing the tough part of putting it on the page in a way that mirrors what's in my head is tougher.

ANGI: What’s something you’d like to tell your fans?
HELENKAY: I am so grateful to all of my readers. I can't even express how much I appreciate you. Thank you.


ANGI’S GOTTA ASK: HelenKay you live in the sunny state of California...do you travel to other locations you write about? And where’s your dream setting for a Harlequin® Intrigue (company tab of course so no limits!)?
HELENKAY’S GOTTA ANSWER: I do! All of my Intrigues® so far, including the ones for the current Mystery Men miniseries, are set in the Washington, D.C. metro area. I actually lived there for seventeen years (except for a brief period spent in North Carolina in law school), so I know the area well and really enjoy writing about it. The setting works well with themes about power and trust. I've written single titles set in Hawaii, Washington, D.C. and Southern Utah. Hawaii is the perfect place to set a romance. My husband grew up there and my in-laws live there, so the research trips are fun!

As for a dream Intrigue® location, it seems to be a romantic thriller set in beautiful Hawaii could be interesting, but I'd really love to write an Intrigue series set on an island outside of Seattle, like Bainbridge Island. The richness of the atmosphere with the rain and cool weather and all the water around to cause trouble cries out for an Intrigue. Hmmm, the more I think about it the more I like it!


GOT A QUESTION YOU’D LIKE TO ASK YOUR FANS?
Do you have a favorite hook you like to see in a Harlequin® Intrigue? Are you a secret baby, amnesia, undercover agents...or something else fan?
~ ~ ~
HELENKAY is generous to give away a copy of UNDER THE GUN, the prequel to her Mystery Men miniseries to a commentator today. GUNNING FOR TROUBLE will be released in February.
~ ~ ~
Dustmuffin ~~ Congratulations, you're the winner of HelenKay's UNDER THE GUN. Please contact us at GetLostInAStory@gmail.com with your information.
~~~

AND OUR READERS will need to bookmark HelenKay:
HelenKayDimon.com
twitter.com/helenkaydimon
facebook.com HelenKay-Dimon

DON’T FORGET to bookmark Get Lost In A Story on Facebook & Twitter. And come back Thursday to ‘get lost’ with Lois Winston and again on Friday for a visit with Helen Johannes.

~~Til next week when historical author Sandy Blair comes to visit! Angi

Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only. If an Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) is available, the author may utilize that option for International participants. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants.