Meet the Men Behind Lt. Joe Crandall...

Heather here, and today to celebrate the release of Donnell’s debut, “The Past Came Hunting”, I’d love to introduce you to the heroes behind Donnell’s fictional hero, Lieutenant Joe Crandall.

Of course, we’ll withhold names to protect the innocents, but here’s how Donnell responded when I asked her about her inspiration for Lt. Joe:

DONNELL: I modeled Lt. Joe Crandall after a lieutenant I met while doing research, and then a commander I met in the Citizens Academy. They were unlike any television protagonist I’d ever met. They were real. Funny, compassionate and I could see how much they cared about people– they weren’t the muy macho guys you see on TV, the dysfunctional Dirty Harry guys. They were concerned about victims, wanted to do a good job and were stretched too thin doing it.

The first is a Lieutenant I went to talk to about arsenic, of all things, before I ever got involved in the CA or the victims advocacy, a program I volunteered with. He listened politely to my plot scenario as I explained how my antagonist was going to ground peach pits into the heroine’s wood press (she was a wood worker) to make arsenic to frame my protagonist. Anyway, he leaned back, kind of rubbed his chin and said, “Where does your story take place?” “Close to El Paso,” I replied. He said, “Why not have him go into Mexico and get it there? They don’t regulate controlled substances like they do in the US.”

After I recovered from blushing over my “Why didn’t I think of that?” moment, his common sense just blew me away.

Then the Commander was a man we, in the CA, were all excited about talking to us about vice and undercover narcotics. We expected a man in uniform. Instead he came in dressed in a tie-dyed T-shirt and jeans and said, “Am I hurting your eyes?” When the class replied, “Yes”, he said, “Good… none of you are on meth…” He was so funny, so human and down to earth, I just half-way fell in love with him and put these two guys together to create my cop protagonist. They were in charge, but still so approachable. I wanted to write about that kind of man.

If you have time, these are two articles I also drew from and are on my web page. The second one, “You’re Not a Cop Till You Taste Them,” was written by a Sgt. Bernie Moss, a bomb technician in Texas. His article was standard reading when I participated in my local sheriff office’s victim’s advocacy program. Sgt. Moss isn’t a writer. He was moved to write that article.

Based on my experiences working with my local law enforcement I was able to create a cop you won’t find on any television program or silver screen.

http://donnellannbell.com/CitizensAcademy.html

http://donnellannbell.com/YoureNotaCop.html

HEATHER: Donnell, thanks for that insight into Lt. Joe…It makes me even more excited to read his story for myself. And the article by Sgt. Moss? So moving… One final question: Do your real life Lieutenant and Commander know that you’ve based your hero on them?

DONNELL: Yes, they do, and I will be gifting each of them with a copy of “The Past Came Hunting”. So, Readers, here's Donnell's question for you: Do you think my villain should have used the wood press to make arsenic to frame my heroine or gone into Mexico to get it? I'm giving away a $10 B&N to one lucky person who comments during my debut week.

Please come back tomorrow to see what Angi has in store for our very own Donnell!

The Past Came Hunting

It's release week party time!!!

Our own Donnell Ann Bell's debut novel, The Past Came Hunting releases this week!

Donnell and I were Golden Heart sisters twice and I couldn't be more thrilled that this book will now be available for readers to enjoy!


They Never Expected To Meet Again, But A Dangerous Past Haunts Them

Fifteen years ago a young Colorado Springs police officer arrested a teen runaway accused of aiding a convenience store robbery and attempted murder. She was innocent, but still served prison time briefly. Her testimony sent the real thief to jail for much longer. Now she’s a young widow raising a son, and the man she put in prison is free and seeking revenge. She moves to a home in a new neighborhood—then learns that her next-door neighbor is the by-the-book officer who arrested her. Now he’s a Colorado Springs P.D. Lieutenant. Like it or not, he may be the only one who can protect her and her son from the past he helped create.


(excerpt from The Past Came Hunting)

Standing in the presence of Matt’s never-stay-at-home dad, relief flooded her. “Oh, Mr. Crandall, thank heavens. My name’s Melanie. My son, Luke, is a friend of Matt’s. Call me a flake, but I’m out of gas.”

He reached across the seat and opened the passenger door. Light flooded the interior. “Happens to the best of us. There’s a gas station on the corner. Hop in.”

Even though his voice seemed kind, she hesitated. After all, taking rides from sweet-talking strangers had been her downfall. But that had been a lifetime ago, and she knew this man. Or at least his son. The decision made, she rounded the car. Sliding in beside him, the scent of coffee and his musky fragrance filled the air. “I can’t thank you enough. I wanted to start . . .dinner.”

That’s when she saw this was no ordinary vehicle. A laptop computer was bracketed to the console, and above it a radio. The world seemed to slow as she focused on every detail. The dash . . . the console . . . and finally the man behind the wheel.

Her gaze took in his long legs, the veins in his powerful-looking hands, his rolled-up sleeves and at last settled on the sizeable scar on his inner forearm.

Shock made her numb. It wasn’t possible. How had she missed the connection? She hadn’t thought of the man in years. The cop who’d arrested her, his name had been .. . Crandall.

Somehow Mel found the strength to look into his eyes. And when she did, she came face to face with what could only be a mutually shocked expression.

“You,” she whispered.

“You,” he replied.

GET TO KNOW DONNELL ANN BELL

MAUREEN: Which of your characters would you most/least to invite to dinner, and why?

DONNELL: I would invite Lt. Joe Crandall to dinner; don’t know that I’d eat much, but I’d sure enjoy the view. Least. Drake Maxwell. He’s angry at my protagonist, Melanie, and since I created her, he might just take it out on me.

MAUREEN: Ha! What’s in your refrigerator right now?

DONNELL: Three bottles of wine (unopened) every time someone comes to dinner or to play cards, they bring a bottle of wine. I like Berringer’s White Zinfandel; the others will remain their indefinitely. Leftover Chicken enchiladas that I made this evening, eggs, cheese, grapes and plums. I went shopping today ;)

MAUREEN: What is your favorite tradition from your childhood?

DONNELL: Christmas Eve, Midnight Mass, then hot chocolate and opening presents afterward, then sleeping in.

MAUREEN: What do you do to unwind and relax?

DONNELL: Soak in a hot tub with a glass of Berringer’s White Zinfandel.;)

MAUREEN: Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?

DONNELL: I go for a walk, or pick up the phone and brainstorm with a critique partner. I like to pace while I brainstorm… oh, and my hands take on a life of their own when we figure things out.

MAUREEN: Ah, there's nothing like those flying hands when they figure things out! What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

DONNELL: I can’t sit down at my computer and write from scratch. My process is to write the story in shorthand, either in my bedroom, living room or on my patio, then later print it out in longhand, and finally, I’ll type it out on the keyboard. By the time I get to the keyboard, I have a very well-defined book.

MAUREEN: How much money does it take to be happy?

DONNELL: Money doesn’t make me happy. I’m not material. I wouldn’t know a name brand from a generic anything ;) . But I do like having an emergency cushion. So how about: Enough money to give my family and me a feeling of security.

MAUREEN: What’s the most unusual thing you’ve learned while researching a novel.

DONNELL: I learned from a sergeant working narcotics that you can use spray starch to determine if someone’s cooked meth in a hotel room. He said if the wall turns black, he not only leaves that room, he leaves the entire establishment, after, of course, demanding his money back.

MAUREEN: I must remember to bring spray starch on my next road trip. :) What dreams have been realized as a result of your writing?

DONNELL: The friendships I’ve made along the way and seeing a story I believed in come to fruition.

DONNELL ASKS READERS: In The Past Came Hunting, my heroine makes a youthful mistake that she ends up paying for years and years later. Do you enjoy women in jeopardy stories, and, put yourself in the place of my heroine. Have you ever made a youthful mistake?

Comments will enter you in a drawing to win an Advanced Reader Copy of THE PAST CAME HUNTING.

Congratulations, Donnell!!!!

We Will Never Forget ~ Ten Years

I will never forget what I was doing on 9-11-2001. My husband woke me with a phone call. He was in California, unable to get the news directly, and everything that happened throughout the day, I had to relay to him.

I dropped my daughter off at school and went to visit with my Great Aunt about our family history. She hadn't turned the news on, I did, we watched the second tower be struck and then knew it wasn't an accident.

Several days after, there was a constant reminder -- no planes in the sky. But this isn't about me or how I spent the day...

I will never forget the honor, the courage, and the sacrifice involved with any part of defending freedom. I will not forget.

~Angi

Barbara Wallace

Barbara Wallace has been a life-long romantic and daydreamer so it’s not surprising she decided to become a writer at age eight. However, it wasn’t until a co-worker handed her a romance novel that she knew where her stories belonged. For years she limited her dreams to nights, weekends and commuter train trips while working as a communications specialist, PR freelancer and full-time mom. At the urging of her family, she finally chucked the day job and pursued writing full time and couldn’t be happier.

Barbara lives in Massachusetts along with her husband, their teenage son, one spoiled cat and one very spoiled dog.

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September has me enjoying two releases! The first is the North American release of The Heart of a Hero. I’m also celebrating being included in the Mills & Boon Special Release “Mills & Boon Loves….” An anthology that’s out in conjunction with the publishers New Voices Competition. I’m in the book along with Maisey Yates, Aimee Carson and New Voices winner Leah Aston.

Can I take a moment to plug the New Voices 2011 competition? If you are interested in writing for Harlequin’s Medical, Presents, Romance, Modern Heat or Historical Lines, the contest is a great way to get feedback and visibility. Visit www.romanceisnotdead.com

Meanwhile, here’s the info for Heart of a Hero:

All advice columnist Zoe wants this summer is some time to heal her post-divorce wounds in peace. That is, until she crosses paths with her neighbor, ex Army captain Jake Meyers. With battle scars both inside and out, Jake just wants to disappear from the world. Zoe knows she should leave the man alone. But she just can’t help herself….

CAT: What’s your favorite kind of story to get lost in?

BARBARA: Romance. A good, angsty emotional romance. One where I really feel the characters belong together and am activity rooting for them. I also love a good mystery, even though I can’t write them. There’s something about having to solve a puzzle that appeals to me.

CAT: What’s the first book you remember reading?

BARBARA: Oh, I’m not sure. I remember reading the Five Little Peppers (and How They Grew) when I was little. I think that might have been my first non picture book.

CAT: What’s your favorite fairy tale?

BARBARA: Cinderella! I love a good rags to riches tale.

CAT: What turns you off like nothing else?

BARBARA: Bodily function jokes. I’m too girly girl to appreciate them. Sadly, I live with all men.

CAT: Where do you read and how often?

BARBARA: Now that I’m always on deadline, I don’t read as much as I want to. My favorite place to read is curled up on my living room sofa. The sun comes in through the picture window making the room warm and bright. On cold days I throw on a blanket and become really cozy.

CAT: What was the first story you remember writing?

BARBARA: Oh, that’s easy. It was The Adventures of Ginger. My best friend Kim was writing a story at the time about her cat, so I decided to write one about my cat too. I was eight years old. It was illustrated, and featured a wedding. Even then I loved romance.

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

BARBARA: Hand’s down my favorite is All About Eve with Bette Davis and Anne Baxter. It’s the movie where Bette uttered her famous line, “Fasten your seatbelts; it’s going to be a bumpy night.”

CAT: Is writing or story-telling easier for you?

BARBARA: Easier than what? I wish I could say writing was easy. Unfortunately I’m one of those writers who have to scratch and claw her way through every scene. What’s that quote – “To write, just open a vein?” That’s a perfect description of my writing process.

CAT: What’s something you’d like to tell your fans?

BARBARA: That I value their support more than they could possibly realize. Seriously. Writers spend so much time alone that it’s easy to start thinking we are the worst storytellers in the world. Every time I get a note saying someone liked my book, my spirit soars for days.

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

BARBARA: Go to sleep. I have a bad tendency to stay up into the wee hours in the morning to get the job finished.

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

BARBARA: Yes, and yes. Not every review, but if a critic has valuable, constructive criticism, then I do my best to take the comments to heart and learn something. I am still learning my craft, and constructive advice is a good thing, IMO.

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

BARBARA: Coffee. Preferably as a Caramel Macchiato. Sadly, I have to limit those to one every couple days or my pants would never fit.

CAT: What does it mean to love someone?

BARBARA: It means being there for them, supporting their dreams, and holding their hand when things aren’t going right for them. It means taking care of the little things in their life. It means standing by their side during those times when they are cranky or distracted and understanding that a real relationship is about more than wine and roses and grand romantic gestures. It’s about being a companion and a friend as well as a lover and knowing that no one – I mean no one – can take that person’s place in your life.

CAT'S GOTTA ASK

If you were a t-shirt, what color would you be and why?

BARBARA'S GOTTA ANSWER

OK, this is a shameless plug for my good friend Debbie Monk who just happened to start selling t-shirts on Labor Day. I would be a pink t-shirt with the phrase “Got to remember I’m Fabulous” on it. Because not only would it support her craft business, but because it’s something I think we all need to remind ourselves from time to time.

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

What is your favorite fairy tale? How do you like to see this fairy tale theme played out in a romance? Is there any kind of romance story you loathe and hope never shows up on your book shelf again?

One lucky winner will win a “Heart of a Hero” gift bag with a book and other goodies!

Linda Thomas-Sundstrom

DARK WORLDS & LIGHTHEARTED BITES

Veronica and the Vampire
A lighthearted girly indie
by Linda Thomas-Sundstrom
Available Now!






Veronica Davis is a woman with a desperate need.
If she doesn't bring a date to her big sister's wedding, the L for loser that's imprinted on her forehead will become permanent, as far as her family is concerned. And heck, she's started to believe it, herself.
Why else would a girl end up at a Los Angeles escort agency with the strange acronym V.A.M.P. Inc? Where you pick your date from a row of coffins in the agency's basement. Guys who can't meet you at lunch time, due to the fact that they sleep until sundown.
You know . . . . vampires.
And when she meets the unearthly handsome Christian Dale, the agency's odd acronym begins to take on a whole new meaning. Tackling her sister's wedding actually starts to seem like a piece of cake . . .






Night Born
A dark paranormal Nocturne Bite from Harlequin.
Available Now!

Love and hate, vampire and slayer—opposites too closely connected for their own good?
After her mother is nearly killed, slayer-in-waiting Danika Douglas vows to destroy the vampire she believes is responsible—Alexander Kent. An experienced vampire older than sin itself, Alexander possesses dark good looks and a strong sensual allure.
Danika knows a slayer and her target are chained together by fate, compelled to find each other. Yet she never expected them to share such a powerful attraction, leaving Danika torn between revenge and desire…


Love at first or second bite.


Read what the author has to say about her two new releases.


Hi everybody! Good day!

I’m Linda Thomas-Sundstrom, and wanted to leave a note today for fans of the paranormal (or not) who like to mix things up.

Dark and light. If you know me, you might have realized by now that I’ve been on a roll writing dark paranormals. Vampires and Werewolves, mostly for HQ’s nifty Nocturne imprint. Yum. I do so love the dark side, where full moons shine, shadows stretch, and not everyone on the planet has to be exactly like you and me. Writing dark is like eating dark chocolate, and sheer bliss for the senses. I just can’t get enough of that world.

But every once in a while I just have to have a carrot. I have to laugh at that full moon, and let the humor of those same situations rip. Strange premises appear that need to be explored in a different and lighthearted way. I hear these things coming to the forefront of my mind, and sometimes just have to follow where they lead. You know. Sparky inspiration that goes astray?

Honestly, I have one Muse and no split personality to speak of. I just prefer to see both sides of the paranormal coin. I love to get lost in shivers of delight. And I love to laugh.

Some folks who read my books and send me notes feel the same. Therefore, I decided amidst the dark yummy stuff I’m doing, to have two projects released and currently out there. “Night Born,” for those readers who, like me, often gravitate to the dark side of paranormal….
And “Veronica and the Vampire,” an ultra-light, very girly story in the vein (*snort*) of my 2009 novel Barbie and the Beast. I’ve launched Veronica into orbit at just 99 cents to fulfill some of my readers’ (and my own) kitchy fantasies.

Something for everyone!

Both of these stories are dear to me. “Night Born” was a great inspiration and wrote itself. One of those. I’d love to enlarge this Night Born sometime, if HQ would let me, because the art gallery idea of finding a vampire’s face in paintings from the Renaissance through the Impressionsists, and then seeing that vampire in the doorway, watching my female character was chilling and uber-sensual at the same time. Love that.

And little Veronica Davis, who needs a date so badly that she will rent one from an unusual Los Angeles agency in “Veronica and the Vampire,” captured my heart because haven’t we all been in situations where we’re the one on parade for our families, whether you hear that darned tick of the biological clock, or not? And when you just had to show up somewhere with a date, no matter what?

Well… I hope you’ll come along for this wild ride with me, down a long highway that splits down the middle. Full moons and sexy, charismatic male others who may or may not have fangs, on one side of that road . . . And pink satin stilettos tiptoeing through the shadows toward hunky, sexy male others on the other side.

Welcome to my world! Where sanity is highly overrated, and Muses sing like angels. I am so-o-o happy to be a writer and getting published. I am overjoyed to have Nocturne at my back, and grateful for every story that comes.

I hope you will check these two out, and let me know what you think about parallel worlds living in minds simultaneously. Whether you like to read dark and light.

Thanks for having me today, and I’m here listening.
Xo

Linda

http://www.lindathomas-sundstrom.com/
http://www.facebook.com/LindaThomasSundstrom


Jillian's gotta ask, Linda's gotta answer question.

Jillian: In the world of paranormal dating/escort services, please tell us your future plans! Might there be a full moon agency manned by werewolves or perhaps an online...?

Linda: HA! Great question! The fact is that Veronica and the Vampire is the second book in my “not just another dead-end date” series. Barbie and the Beast (2009) was the first. In that book, Barbie went to a singles party in a graveyard, and did a stint on in the Dating Game. Poor Veronica resorted to an escort service. In future books in this goofy series, you can bet on plenty more unusual ways to find an unusual guy, and that I’ll find them all!


And Linda's got a question for her fans: If you were looking for an um… unusual “guy” … where would you start? Under a full moon? Near a crypt? In a foreign country?

I’d love to hear what you’d have in mind! I will give a free download of “Veronica and the Vampire” to one lucky commenter who can accept an ebook from Amazon.

Visit Linda at http://www.lindathomas-sundstrom.com/
http://www.facebook.com/LindaThomasSundstrom

***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.

Elisabeth Naughton!!!

Get Lost in This Story…

DEMETRIUS—He’s the hulking, brooding warrior his fellow Guardians avoid. Too dark. Too damaged. And given his heritage, he knows it’s best to keep everyone at arm’s length.

Isadora is missing. The words pound through his head like a frantic drumbeat. For her own protection, Demetrius did all he could to avoid the fragile princess, his soul mate. And now she’s gone—kidnapped. To get her back, he’ll have to go to the black place in his soul he’s always shunned.

As daemons ravage the human realm and his loyalty to the Guardians is put to the ultimate test, Demetrius realizes that Isadora is stronger than anyone thought. And finally letting her into his heart may be the only way to save them both.

EXCERPT:

Heat pricked every inch of Demetrius’s skin. Against his chest, Isadora was warm and soft and so damn tempting, it was all he could do to keep his hands at his sides and his eyes focused on the wall across the room.

She snuggled closer, and when the tips of her breasts brushed his chest, his heart rate skyrocketed. Shards of electricity shot from his chest to his stomach, then lower. And ah, gods, this was too damn good for words and the one thing he’d wanted to avoid. He sucked in a breath and held it, afraid if he moved, she’d slide even closer and he wouldn’t be able to hold back.

She stood on the second step, not quite at eye level, but he felt her gaze boring into him when she looked up. “Am I hurting you?”

“No.”

“Your teeth are clenched.”

Were they? Skata. He relaxed his jaw. “I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?”

Sweat popped out on his brow. “No.”

The corner of her kiss-me mouth curled, just a touch, and he couldn’t help it. His gaze shifted from the wall to her face. To her molten-chocolate eyes—as warm as the torchlight behind her, rimmed all in gold—to her small nose, her creamy skin, to the tiny mole on the right side of her succulent lips. Heat flared in his abdomen as his gaze ran over her face, and that part of him that had kept his distance for so long whispered, Give in, just once.

Her gaze settled on his mouth. And though indecision brewed in her eyes, the tip of her small tongue snaked out to lick her lips in a way that was so damn sexy, he knew she couldn’t have planned it. Even before she pushed up on her toes, he knew what she was going to do. Just as he knew he should stop her.

He tensed as her mouth met his, tentatively at first. Soft as satin. But his reaction would have been the same if she’d slammed her lips against his and knocked him to the ground. Sparks lit off inside him, around him, everywhere, like fireworks exploding in the sky, blinding and consuming all at the same time. Until she was all he could feel, see, sense, know. Until nothing else mattered but her.

She broke the kiss way too soon. Uncertainty creased her forehead. She took a quick step back up the platform. “I…I’m sorry. I—”

The loss of her heat shifted his body into immediate action. He closed the distance between them, snagged her around the waist, lifted her off the ground, and drew her back against him. And then he lowered his head and kissed her. The way he’d wanted to kiss her for far too long. The way he should never ever kiss her. Especially now.

Today, I am thrilled to welcome paranormal romance author Elisabeth Naughton to the blog! I’m absolutely thrilled to finally be able to repay the lovely turn Elisabeth did by welcoming Golden Heart finalists, including me, on her blog—my very first guest blog in 2010 J. There are so many reasons I love Elisabeth. First, her writing is fantastic! Second, like me, she’s a scientist at heart!

A former junior high science teacher, Elisabeth Naughton traded in her red pen and test tube set for a laptop and research books. She now writes sexy romantic adventure and paranormal novels full time from her home in western Oregon where she lives with her husband and three children.

Her work has been nominated for numerous awards including the prestigious RITA® awards by Romance Writers of America, the Australian Romance Reader Awards, The Golden Leaf and the Golden Heart. When not writing, Elisabeth can be found running, hanging out at the ballpark or dreaming up new and exciting adventures.

So on to the Get Lost Interview!

Heather: What’s the first book you remember reading?

Elisabeth: Chapter books? Anne of Green Gables. I totally identified with Anne.

Heather: What’s your favorite cartoon character?

Elisabeth: Lately I’m infatuated with Patrick on Spongebob. He’s actually quite funny.

Heather: What turns you off like nothing else?

Elisabeth: People who act like they’re your friend but aren’t.

Heather: Where do you read and how often?

Elisabeth: I used to read before bed, but these days I’m staying up late working and at bedtime I just want to fall into the pillows and pass out. These days I read on the elliptical at the gym, in the bathtub when I need a stress reliever, or at the pool (or on a beach while on vacation!)

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

Elisabeth: I can’t write to anything with lyrics. When I’m writing I listen to movie scores. My favorites are Lord of the Rings, Gladiator and Spirit.

Heather: What’s something you’d like to tell your fans?

Elisabeth: I’m often (okay, usually) as surprised by the direction of my stories as you are!

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

Elisabeth: Ask myself why this isn’t getting any easier.

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

Elisabeth: Tea. Green. Straight up. (I’m such a wild woman.)

Heather: What does it mean to love someone?

Elisabeth: To trust them 100% with your heart.

Heather: What’s your favorite kid joke?

Elisabeth: Why was six afraid of seven? Because seven eight (ate) nine! (I have a first grader. First graders think this is hilarious.)

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

Elisabeth: Yep. The heroine in my debut novel – STOLEN FURY – was a secondary character in an earlier, unpublished manuscript. She was a pest (from a writer’s perspective!)

Heather: What is your favorite cheese?

Elisabeth: Pepperjack

Heather: What name have you been dying to use as a lead character, but haven’t found the right fit yet?

Elisabeth: Ronin

Heather: What’s in your refrigerator right now?

Elisabeth: Lots of stuff that needs to be thrown out.

Heather: Dog person or cat person?

Elisabeth: Dog

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

Heather: I noticed on your website that you were a junior high science teacher. I’ve noticed many of we-science-types are writing romance. What is the most important thing you’ve taken from your past life and applied to your writing?

Elisabeth: I think I got my love of drama from watching pre-teens interact. Middle school is all about the hormones and the emotional angst. Everything that happens to a teenager is the WORST thing that can possibly happen to them. I often think of that when I’m writing. What’s the WORST thing I can do to this character to really tip them off balance?

As for the science aspect, I’m totally fascinated by forensics and geology and chemistry. I always try to work that into my books somehow – doesn’t always happen, but I’m always looking for an opportunity!

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

Elisabeth: Since I write paranormal and am always looking for new series ideas…what paranormal characters or creatures would you like to read more of?

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

Elisabeth: Yes! Sourcebooks is giving away two copies of TEMPTED to two lucky commenters (US/Canada shipping only) and I’m giving away an autographed copy of MARKED (book 1) and another of ENTWINED (book 2) to other winners!

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

Website: www.elisabethnaughton.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elisabeth.naughton1

Twitter: www.twitter.com/elisnaughton

And if you missed out on Elisabeth’s last visit to GLIAS, click here to learn more about this fun author!

**Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North American addresses only unless specifically stated otherwise. 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.

Susan Wiggs

Susan Wiggs's life is all about family, friends...and fiction. She lives at the water's edge on an island in Puget Sound, and she commutes to her writers' group in a 17-foot motorboat. She's been featured in the national media, including NPR's "Talk of the Nation," and is a popular speaker locally and nationally.

When her recent novel, FIRESIDE, hit #1 on the New York Times, the author reportedly reacted to the news by "putting on my lipstick and sweeping the patio." Why? Because she knew that within a matter of minutes, her girlfriends would show up to pop the bubbly and help her celebrate. [Update: FIRESIDE has been chosen of one of Amazon.com's Top Ten Romances of 2009.]

According to Publishers Weekly, Wiggs writes with "refreshingly honest emotion," and the Salem Statesman Journal adds that she is "one of our best observers of stories of the heart [who] knows how to capture emotion on virtually every page of every book." Booklist characterizes her books as "real and true and unforgettable." She is the recipient of three RITA (sm) awards and four starred reviews from Publishers Weekly for her books. Her books make frequent appearances on Amazon's "best of" lists. Several of her novels have been listed as Indie Next picks and optioned as feature films. Her novels have been translated into more than two dozen languages and have made national bestseller lists, including the USA Today, Washington Post and New York Times lists.

The author is a former teacher, a Harvard graduate, an avid hiker, an amateur photographer, a good skier and terrible golfer, yet her favorite form of exercise is curling up with a good book.

THE GOODBYE QUILT

Linda Davis's local fabric shop is a place where women gather to share their creations: quilts commemorating important events in their lives. Wedding quilts, baby quilts, memorial quilts—each is bound tight with dreams, hopes and yearnings.Now, as her only child readies for college, Linda is torn between excitement for Molly and heartache for herself. Who will she be when she is no longer needed in her role as mom? What will become of her days? Of her marriage?
Mother and daughter decide to share one last adventure together—a cross-country road trip to move Molly into her dorm. As they wend their way through the heart of the country, Linda stitches together the scraps that make up Molly's young life. And in the quilting of each bit of fabric—the hem of a christening gown, a snippet from a Halloween costume—Linda discovers that the memories of a shared journey can come together in a way that will keep them both warm in the years to come….

I'm delighted to welcome Susan Wiggs to Get Lost In A Story. I hope you enjoy the interview.


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

SUSAN: Every time I sit down and start writing. I don't even notice the passage of time, or what's going on around me, unless the writing is going badly. When I start thinking about cleaning the can opener or whether or not I've left my car windows down, it's time to stop.

CAT: What’s the first book you remember reading?

SUSAN: All by myself? THE CARROT SEED by Ruth Krauss, borrowed from the Olean Public Library. I still remember the smell of it. I was an early reader, five years old at the time.

CAT: What’s your favorite "love" word?

SUSAN: Pecksniffian. "Hypocritically benevolent; sanctimonious."

CAT: What’s your favorite fairy tale?

SUSAN: Cinderella. Beauty and the Beast. Are there any others? I recall a German one about a boy who couldn't stop sucking his thumb, so a gardener came and lopped off poor little Suck-a-Thumb's thumbs. That just didn't resonate with me.

CAT: What’s your favorite cartoon character?

SUSAN: Ignatz the Mouse in Felix the Cat.

CAT: Is there a playlist you’d recommend for reading your latest release?

SUSAN: Of course! I make a playlist for every release:

You Oughta Know Alanis Morissette
Magical Mystery Tour The Beatles
Paperback Writer The Beatles
Come On Ben Jelen
The Tide Is High Blondie
Total Eclipse of the Heart Bonnie Tyler
Born to Run Bruce Springsteen
Girls In Their Summer Clothes Bruce Springsteen
Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season) The Byrds
Make Your Own Kind of Music Cass Elliot
Father And Son Cat Stevens

Ancient Airs and Dances, Suite No. 2: IV. Bergamasca (Bernardo Gianoncelli) Academy of St. Martin in the Fields & Sir Neville Marriner
C'était salement romantique Coeur de pirate
Fix You Coldplay
Dreams The Cranberries
Bad Day Daniel Powter
Better Days Eddie Vedder
Storms In Africa Enya
Peaches en Regalia Frank Zappa/Zappa
Praan Garry Schyman
Falling Slowly Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova
Walk Away Goldfinger
Breakable Ingrid Michaelson
143 (Kelly's Song) [2011] Jake Shimabukuro
Life Is Wonderful Jason Mraz
White Rabbit Jefferson Airplane
Don't Stop Believin' Journey
I'm Alright (Theme from Caddyshack) Kenny Loggins
International Rhumba Louis Mhlanga
Free Bird Lynyrd Skynyrd
This Year The Mountain Goats
Only Love Can Break Your Heart Neil Young
A Good Day (Morning Song) Priscilla Ahn
500 Miles The Proclaimers
Stand R.E.M.
Ruby Tuesday Rolling Stones
The Rainbow Connection Willie Nelson

CAT: What was the first story you remember writing?

SUSAN: You can see my early work online here: Child Prodigy

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

SUSAN: THE WIZARD OF OZ. I could watch it endlessly.

CAT: Who’s your favorite villain?

SUSAN: The Wicked Witch of the West (aka Elvira Gulch).

CAT: Is writing or story-telling easier for you?

SUSAN: Passing a kidney stone is easier. Honestly, I don't find anything about writing easy and when someone tells me it is, I suspect them of lying.

CAT: What’s something you’d like to tell your fans?

SUSAN: That writing is easy, it's like taking dictation from God.

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

SUSAN: Delete about a third of it and start over. I'm never satisfied.

CAT: If you could interview one person (and it doesn’t have to be a writer) who would it be?

SUSAN: Both my grandmothers. They were so wonderful and wise, and I miss them so much. And there's so much I forgot to ask them!


If you want to learn more about Susan and her wonderful books, you can find her at:

Website



Facebook



Twitter

Sandra Orchard

Sandra Orchard was the 2009 Daphne DuMaurier Award of Excellence in Mystery/Suspense winner in the unpublished category and sold to Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense the following year. Her newly released debut novel, Deep Cover, is the first book in her series, Undercover Cops: Fighting for justice puts their lives—and hearts—on the line. Sandra hails from Southern Ontario, Canada and she's here to talk to us today.

About Deep Cover, Book One, in the Series

Maintaining his cover cost undercover cop Rick Gray the woman he loved. Sweet Ginny Bryson never really knew Rick. He never gave her the chance. Not then, and not now, when he's back with a new alias to gather evidence against Ginny's uncle. The man's crimes led to Rick's partner's death, and Rick wants justice to be served. But his investigation is stirring up trouble, and Ginny is smack-dab in the middle. Someone wants Ginny to pay the price for what her uncle has done. But how can Rick protect her without blowing his cover, jeopardizing his assignment...and risking both their lives?

Intrigued, Readers? I know I am. And now it's time to learn all about Sandra Orchard.

~~~

DONNELL: Good morning, Sandra. Are you a big city or small town girl?

SANDRA: I’m a country girl. The nearest house is ½ kilometer away. That’s um…3/10ths of a mile.

DONNELL: What’s your favorite room in your house, and why?

SANDRA: I live in a big old drafty farmhouse so in the dead of winter, my favorite room is definitely the family room. I know, I know, I’m a romance writer. It should be the bedroom. But, hey, I write inspys. The family room has lots of big picture windows to look out on the snow, and a cozy wood stove with a window so I can watch the flames flicker, and reclining chairs so I can curl up with a good book, or my laptop.

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

SANDRA: Deep Cover is my first book, and it doesn’t actually hit bookstore shelves for another five days. But many book club members and eHarlequin shoppers have already read it and so far the reviews have been great. Yup, I read them. I am delighted every time a new letter from a reader pops up in my mailbox. The positive response to DC has definitely spurred me on as I languish in revisions to the third book in the series. But, yes, I dread the inevitable negative ones to come.

DONNELL: What’s in your refrigerator right now?

SANDRA: Oh, I’m proud to say I cleaned it last week. Good thing, because I couldn’t have identified half of what I cleaned out of there. Although my pup liked the job of helping. Now, it has dozens of eggs. (We have our own hens—country girl, remember) Lots of fresh produce, milk, butter, yogurt and condiments.

DONNELL: Is Elvis really dead?

SANDRA: Not in my heart. His song “Only Fools Rush In” is my husband’s and my song. We got engaged after only dating a couple of months, and have been married almost 25 years.

DONNELL: Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?

SANDRA: Oh yes. I check email, surf the net, eat, match socks, complain, lament, complain. Oh wait…you mean how do I break out of it? Well, that’s a topic for a whole other blog. (Sept 19^th at Seekerville to be exact.) But I’ll tell you that one of my most consistently reliable methods is to jump ahead to a scene that I can visualize and start writing from there. Oftentimes, things will present themselves that allow me to work backward.

DONNELL: Dog person or cat person?

SANDRA: Definitely dog. Dogs teach us so much, such as: Don't bite when a simple growl will do. When loved ones come home, always run to greet them. Delight in the simple joy of a long walk. Eat with gusto. And my favorite, when you're happy, jump around and wag your whole body.

DONNELL: What would you do if you had a time machine?

SANDRA: Sell it on Ebay. I'd fetch a mint!

DONNELL: How much money does it take to be happy?

SANDRA: Not much. My pleasures are simple--walking in the woods, playing with the grandchildren, kayaking or beachcombing. That said, I'd love to have a cook and a housecleaner, if only I could find a time machine to sell on Ebay!

DONNELL: What dreams have been realized through your writing?

SANDRA: To touch people's hearts with the message of God's love for them.

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

SANDRA: Thank God. And I mean that most sincerely. Some days I feel like I’m ripping the words from my brain to come up with anything good to write, and I pray a lot. So when the story all comes together, I feel profoundly grateful.

AND NOW THAT WE'VE REVEALED SANDRA'S UNDERCOVER SECRETS, IT'S HER TURN. QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS WILL EARN YOU A CHANCE TO WIN "DEEP COVER." WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, HERE'S HER QUESTION FOR READERS: What character trait, quirk, or action in a heroine drives you crazy?

THANKS SO MUCH FOR SHARING WITH US, SANDRA!

Thanks for having me, Donnell.

Connect with Sandra Online:

Visit her website ~ http://www.sandraorchad.com

Visit her personal blog ~ http://www.SandraOrchard.blogspot.com

Like her Facebook Page ~ www.Facebook.com/SandraOrchard

Subscribe to her newsletter ~ http://http://bit.ly/OrchardNews

Buy Deep Cover now from eHarlequin ~ http://http:/bit.ly/DeepCover

Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only. If an electronic 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.

AND 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 us tomorrow when Cat hosts best-selling author Susan Wiggs. Remember to check back daily to GET LOST in your favorite stories! ~ Donnell