P R Mason and Fated Hearts

I'm excited to welcome YA author PR Mason to my blog today. Her latest indy release is Fated Hearts (Is that a gorgeous cover, or what?!?!). She's giving away a download to one lucky commenter, and she would like to share some thoughts on the story and about music:

IF MUSIC BE THE FOOD OF PARANORMAL ROMANCE....PLAY ON!

Lately, I've been obsessed with the interaction of music and fiction. Although no one knows who first said it, a popular quote states that: "music is what feelings sound like." Feelings are at the heart of fiction also. The goal of all good storytelling is to evoke emotion in the reader with the plot and its characters. As a writer, fiction and music coalesce when a song conveys the emotion I am striving to communicate in a particular scene or sequence of scenes. Then that song can serve as an inspiration.

My recent release Fated Hearts, which is a paranormal romance novella, deals with the issue of predestination and puts the main characters in some pretty emotional situations.

Here's the blurb:

EVE has always played by the rules, afraid to take chances. HOLDEN wants to change that. She's certain they've never met before...or have they? Holden seems so familiar, but who is he? What is he? Yesterday her biggest challenge was trying not to bomb on her SATs. Today, paranormal forces have transformed an ordinary high school dance into a test of fate vs. free will and loving Holden could be Eve's end.

Fated Hearts is available at Amazon: http://amzn.com/B006XVD53O

I've compiled an unofficial soundtrack for FATED HEARTS. See what you think.

1. Love Lockdown, by Kanye West Chapter 1 = A Dance

2. No Air, by Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown Chapter 2 = Holden

3. Without You, by David Guetta Chapter 2 = The Roof

4. Clubbed to Death, by Rob DouganChapter 3 =Who is he?

5. Fly, by NickiMinajFt.Rihanna Chapter 4 = Finale

You can click on the link to hear the playlist via Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF080A04E1BA4E843&feature=mh_lolz

Please let me know what you think of the soundtrack. Leave a comment and be entered to win an ebook copy of FATED HEARTS.

I love to hear from readers. Here are my links to find me:

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5259792.P_R_Mason

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/P.R.-Mason/e/B005RCKCQS/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ - !/prmason

Website: http://www.prmason.net

Blog: http://www.agirwithacomputer.blogspot.com

Cindy Woolf's Winner!

CONGRATS!!!

Kay Alber (C.K. Alber)

You are the winner of Cindy Woolf's Centauri book. Please contact her at: cindy AT cynthiawoolf DOT com
to claim your prize.

BIG THANX to everyone who took time from their busy holiday plans to come over and comment with Cindy. We both really appreciate your support!

I hope to have more interviews and giveaways with more GREAT Indy authors in the very near future.

Interview with Author Cynthia Woolf

Today, I'm pleased to feature an interview with Indy Author Cindy Woolf. Not only does she have a really cool name (okay, so I'm biased!), but she also writes really cool romances.

Cindy was born and raised in Colorado and lives there still, so it is no surprise that she writes western romances. Her book Tame a Wild Heart is available on Amazon in both print and Kindle editions. She also has a fantastic science fiction romance series called The Centauri Series. But I'll let her tell you more...

AC: How long have you been writing?

CW: I started writing seriously in 1990

AC: What made you start writing? Did anyone inspire or encourage you to write?

CW: I wouldn’t say anyone inspired me to write, but my family definitely encouraged my efforts. My husband is my biggest cheerleader.

AC: Plotter? Pantser? Or something in between?

CW: I’m a definite pantser. If I plot the story, it’s done and I don’t need to write it. LOL Of course, this causes me no end of sagging middles and writers block, where I don’t know where the story is going. When that happens, I just start writing, something, anything. Just to get the process started.

AC: Please share some of the highlights of your writing journey thus far.

CW: My biggest highlights have been to be published. To actually have my book out there for people to buy and more importantly, they like it. The reviews have been good and all three books have been well received.

AC: Any advice you’d like to give unpublished or recently published writers?

The best advice I can give is WRITE, WRITE, WRITE. You can’t publish what you haven’t written. Get a good editor, have covers done that you like. And don’t wait for a publishing house to tell you what to write. Write what you love, write how the story comes to you. You can always go back and change it but let it out first.

AC: Please tell us about your current release/project. What’s next for you?

My latest book is CENTAURI TWILIGHT. It is Book 2 in the Centauri Series. Below is a short excerpt. My next book is CENTAURI MIDNIGHT, Book 3 in the Centauri Series. I hope to have it out in January 2012.

Excerpt from CENTAURI TWILIGHT

From Chapter One

Anton needed an escape. All this happiness made him nauseous. In the last two weeks since the announcement of his brother Darius’ wedding to Audra, Queen of Centauri, he’d witnessed more kissing, smiling and cheerful familial festivities than he could stand. Now the ceremony was finally over. All he had to do was manage to not look as grim as the bitter taste in his mouth made him feel, as he survived these last few hours of dancing and merriment.

Taking advantage of a lull in the festivities, Anton pulled Darius and Audra aside. “I’m leaving tonight.”

Audra took his hands in hers, the soft fabric of her wedding dress brushed against his legs. He forced his feet to remain planted. No need to offend his new sister by moving out of arms reach. “Are you well enough to leave?” she asked with a frown. “This isn’t going to be an easy mission for you.”

Anton used the one argument he knew Audra would not stand against. “Sweet sister, I’m well enough. The sooner I leave, the sooner I’ll find Jondalara and bring her home.”

Audra leaned up and kissed his scarred cheek. “Anton, how will I ever be able to thank you?”

Regardless of his own internal agony, it had nothing to do with Audra and Darius. He couldn’t stop a genuine grin escaping. “Name this baby after me.”

Audra slumped against Darius. “Baby?”

Darius held his new wife close to his side. “What baby?”

Anton smiled then chuckled. Should he be upset that his brother had made love to his lifemate, even though she was to have been Anton’s bride? Maybe, but he could not. It was too difficult to find your lifemate and impossible for a Coridian man to resist her once he found her. “It appears you two already had your wedding night.”

Audra’s hand automatically went to her stomach. Nothing was showing, there was no bump, not that it would have shown under her wedding dress anyway. “But, but...how could you know? I don’t even know yet. I mean I haven’t…” Audra sputtered, unable to voice the words.

Darius laughed, rich and loud, uncaring that he was drawing attention to the three of them. “It is one of his gifts, Sweetheart. Ask my mother sometime what happened when he was five and told my mother to expect me.”

Oblivious to everyone else, Anton knew they were in love. Audra leaned again into Darius and he wrapped his arms around her. “A baby,” she sighed and rubbed her stomach. Then she turned back to Anton, the happy bride gone and only the Queen remaining. “I don’t care what it takes, bring my sister home.”

Audra had found Anton half dead in Zelton Slavarien’s dungeon after escaping Slavarien herself. She was resourceful, his sister-in-law. He’d been beaten to within an inch of life and tortured in many other ways by Slavarien who wanted to know where Audra was.

He heard the doctors, while he was in the med tech unit, say how lucky he was. That a few more hours and the damage would totally have been irreversible and he would have died. He wished he had, along with the rest of his company of soldiers. They’d been sent to bring back Zelton Slavarien for trial, but just outside his citadel a trap had been laid. One designed to capture Anton and solicit information from him in any way possible. Torture was the preferred method employed by Slavarien.

She’d saved what was left of his miserable life. He’d do this one thing for her before he let the darkness and guilt over losing his men in the ambush, claim him. He and Darius both knew the odds of survival were low, of finding the princess even lower. But he’d demanded the mission anyway. The planet Delaz was a long way off, a lifetime from the world he knew. And a return to the dominion of the evil Slavarien family.

None of it mattered.

He’d find Jondalara or die trying. This was the one thing that Audra wanted above all else, the one thing he could do for her to repay his debt.

“I will, Your Majesty. I will bring her home to you.”

AC: OOOO! Can't wait to find out what is in store for poor Anton in his attempt to rescue Princess Jondalara!

Thanks so much for being with us today Cindy, and for letting us have a peek at Centauri Twilight!

Please leave a comment and be entered into a drawing for a copy of the set of both the Centauri Series books, CENTAURI DAWN and CENTAURI TWILIGHT.

CW: Thanks Aunty Cindy for letting me blog with you today.

AC: My pleasure!

Now it is your turn. Do you have a question for Cindy about her books or her writing process? What other stories have you read, seen or heard in which the hero must rescue a Princess? Star Wars? Shrek? Any others?

I think Anton will be in for a few surprises! What about you?

Special Guest Jill James

Since dipping my toes into the vast ocean of Indie publishing a few months ago, I'm met some many other outstanding Indie authors. I've decided to take the blog in a slightly different direction by introducing you to a few of these wonderful folks, starting TODAY!

The lovely and talented Jill James is my guest today. Her debut Indie release is a contemporary romance called Divorce, Interrupted and you can buy it for your Kindle here:

http://www.amazon.com/Divorce-Interrupted-Second-Chances-ebook

So without further adieu, let's ask Jill a few questions...

AC: How long have you been writing?

JJ: Since I could hold a pencil in my hand. LOL I wrote plays and puppet shows as a kid for the neighborhood to perform in and attend. Poetry was my first love until I found romance novels. I started writing seriously in 2004 and joined RWA.

AC: What made you start writing?

JJ: Romance novels, plain and simple. I fell in love with love stories. I wanted to write my own. I wanted to have a hero and heroine who seemed like they would never be together, and I could give them that happily-ever-after.

AC: Did anyone inspire or encourage you to write?

JJ: Mrs. Whitaker, my fifth-grade teacher had us write a story every week and read it aloud to the class. She was so encouraging of my writing. I still remember The Run-Away Chevrolet and The Peanut Butter Airplane.

AC: Plotter? Pantser? Or something in between?

JJ: I think I must be something in between. Some stories I plot and some I just go with the flow. But I am a linear writer. I start with Chapter One and go straight through until I reach The End. No random dialogue or scenes. Point A to Point Z.

AC: Advice you’d like to share with unpublished or recently published writers?

JJ: Don’t give up. The day from Hell, when you receive that thousandth rejection, when the words won’t flow, when you hear your subgenre is dead – Don’t Give Up. That is the day that tests how much do you want this. Your success is just around the corner if you hold on. The quote goes something like this – The only difference between a published author and an unpublished one is the published author didn’t quit.

AC: Please tell us about your current release/project.

JJ: Divorce, Interrupted is my first Indie/Self release. I wanted to explore how some divorces aren’t the end but really a new beginning.

Here's the Blurb: Newly-divorced Todd and Lisa Miller are stranded at their mountain cabin. There to divide a lifetime of memories, they soon are in danger from more than the anger between them. A vicious storm forces them to rely on each other to survive.

Can they trust the one person they lost belief in? Or are their hearts in danger from more than floods and frigid weather?

AC: What’s next for you?

JJ: Book 2 of the Second Chances series, Trust In Me. Should be available in a couple of weeks.

Thanks so much for being here today Jill. Your Second Chances series sounds great and the cover of Divorce, Interrupted is beautiful!

Okay readers, now it's your turn. Do you believe in a second chance in romance? And if you have any questions for Jill about her books or her writing process, please feel free to ask!

Jo Robertson and The Avenger

Today, I'm excited to welcome back to the blog my fantastic critique partner Jo Robertson. Jo's first romantic thriller, The Watcher came out in August and reached the Amazon Top 100 for Romantic Suspense!

SUPER CONGRATS! Please tell us a little about your second book, The Avenger.

JR: Thanks, Cindy, and thanks for inviting me back to your blog. The Watcher keeps moving in and out of that Amazon Top 100 List, but it's pretty exciting because I've never made a list before. It's my little fifteen minutes of fame!

AC: Previously, you told us the idea for The Watcher came from a psychology class you took. Where did you find the inspiration for The Avenger?

JR: I can't be absolutely sure where the idea came from. You know, we writers have brains that are more like warehouses than workshops, and all kinds of weird and strange stuff meanders around there firing up our synapses!

[NOTE: Aunty knows that all too well!]

JR: But I think I've always had a fairly strong grasp on religious ideologies and how they influence history. It's always been interesting to me that so many events – wars, in particular – are inspired by religious fervor. The Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, a Jihad. So I played with the idea of what motivates people who are deeply religious, but also are psychopathic killers. And I came up with the villain in The Avenger.

The title is a bit misleading because "The Avenger" is a term the killer applies to himself, but the hero, Jackson Holt, is also an avenger in the sense that he's trying to speak for the dead victims and repudiate the wrongs he's done himself while working for a secret organization over the years.

AC: I think the duality of the title is fascinating! Please tell us how this book is tied to your previous one, The Watcher, and your next romantic thriller, The Traitor.

JR: All three books are tied by setting to Bigler County, California, which is a fictional county based on the county where I live. It's nestled at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain, and the sheriff is Ben Slater (the main protagonist in The Watcher). The books can all be read as stand-alone novels because the resolutions are settled in each book and the happy ending guaranteed for the hero and heroine.

In The Avenger Slater's and Olivia Gant's childhood friend is Jackson Holt, the hero. Something happened years ago when Jack "betrayed" them in a sense, but no one knew the full story. This book brings the issue to closure.

AC: You seem adept at creating very scary and memorable villains. Any idea why? Are they your favorite characters to create?

JR: Trust me, I've lain awake at night wondering why my villains speak so clearly to me. I may need a lot of redemption for my "thoughts" in the hereafter.

Just kidding, of course, but villains who are two-dimensional, flat characters have never appealed to me. I've always preferred the complex, rounded villains. I find it extremely interesting to discover what makes people turn out to be the kinds of folks they are, good or bad. Are we hard-wired a certain way or does environment really affect a person significantly?

AC: What is next for Jo Robertson?

JR: I'm nearly finished with the third book in the trilogy which introduces a new hero, Ashraf Hashemi, a DEA agent at odds with ADA Isabella Torres, who played a role in The Avenger. In The Traitor Isabella focuses on putting an end to human trafficking because she believes her beautiful older sister Maria, who disappeared on a graduation trip to Mexico years ago, was actually kidnapped and is alive. Rafe is looking at the same man, Diego Vargas, for instituting new drug trafficking routes in California.

I'm having fun bringing Vargas' lawyer/bodyguard, Gabriel Santos, back as a major player in this story.

[AC rubs her hands together with gleeful anticipation because Santos is a GREAT character!]

JR: After these three books have a chance to reach readers, I'm considering publishing my two historical suspense books, both inspired by real events. I hope readers will enjoy them.

Finally, I'll be returning to Bigler County for the fourth and last book in the not-trilogy (ha, ha), an untitled book which will actually be about Gabriel Santos, who's an interesting and complex villain with his own unique moral compass.

A question for the readers of today's blog: Do you enjoy seeing recurring characters in books, especially secondary ones who get their own stories?

Have you ever been fascinated enough by a "villain" that you'd like to see if he/she has a story of their own to tell?

What's your favorite fall dessert? Ha, gotcha!

Seriously, leave a good recipe for fall on Aunty Cindy's blog and I'll enter you in a contest to win a download of either The Watcher or The Avenger.

Jo Robertson and The Watcher

Today I'm happy to welcome a special guest, my fantastic critique partner and fellow Bandita Jo Robertson! We're going to talk about her debut book THE WATCHER and give away a free ebook to one lucky commenter.

JR: First, Aunty Cindy, thanks for inviting me to blog with you today. You are my CP extraordinaire!

AC: Thanks a bunch for being here, and for your wonderful critiques of my work! But, tell us about your current project.

JR: I'm very excited that THE WATCHER, my Golden Heart-winning book, is available on Amazon, both in paperback and as an electronic download.(Just click on the title of this post to go to the kindle page on Amazon!)

THE WATCHER is the first book I completed that didn't have to be stuffed under the bed never to see the light of day again! It's the story of forensic psychiatrist Kate Myers and Deputy Sheriff Ben Slater who work together to solve a serial murder crime. Both Kate and Slater are struggling to leave the dark places in their lives. As they take this dangerous journey to capture a killer, they must learn to trust and rely on each other.

Here's the back blurb:

Forensic psychiatrist Kate Myers believes the killer of two teenage girls in Bigler County, California, is the same man who savagely murdered her twin sister over fifteen years ago. Working with a single-minded tenacity, she sets out to prove it.

Deputy Sheriff Ben Slater hides his personal pain behind the job, but Kate's arrival knocks his world on its axis. He wants to believe her wild theory, but the idea of a serial killer with the kind of pathology she proposes is too bizarre.

Together they work to find a killer whose roots began in a small town in Bigler County, but whose violence spread across the nation. A Janus-like killer, more monster than man, he fixates on Kate. The killer wants nothing more than to kill "the purple-eyed girl again."

AC: THE WATCHER has an unusual kind of villain. Where did you get the idea for him?

JR: Actually, I got the idea when I was taking a Women's Psychology course at our local college. I was fascinated by one of the true cases our professor told us about. I took that concept, tweaked and twisted (really, really twisted) the idea until I came up with the very unusual kind of serial killer in THE WATCHER. Since the book's a romantic thriller, I don't want to spoil anything!

I get many of my ideas from TV shows or movies, classes I've taken, lots of administration of justice class which are really fascinating, or books and magazines. It only takes a kernel to spur a writer's imagination.

AC: I completely agree about ideas coming from everywhere. Why do you write romantic suspense?

JR: The two genres I most enjoy reading are historical romance (preferably with a daub of mystery) and romantic suspense. Everyone's saying the RS market is soft right now, but I figure that's what I like to read and it's the easiest for me to write.

This particular book definitely came out of the psychology case I mentioned earlier. I won't say too much, but I will say that the crux of the mystery involves the idea that sexuality isn't the fluid kind of thing psychologists once thought. It's much more complex than that, and sometimes a person's genetic makeup is in opposition to his/her real sexuality.

AC: I loved this story and I'm thrilled to have this book released so that everyone can read it. What's next for Jo Robertson?

JR: The second book, THE AVENGER, in this loosely connected trilogy will be available on Amazon in September. It's another serial killer book and involves two childhood sweethearts who are tragically separated and then meet again to solve a current case. We'll see Sheriff Ben Slater return in this one as a secondary character.

I've also completed two historical suspense stories and most recently a young adult paranormal, which made the first cut in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest.

AC: I'm lucky enough to have read THE AVENGER and it is another GREAT read! Plus we get to see Ben Slater again -- YIPEE! I've read Jo's other work too (Being her CP has definite perks) and enjoyed all of them. I'm sure readers will be just as happy as I am to have these books available!

Thanks so much for joining me today, Jo. Now get back to work on THE AVENGER!

Jo was inspired by her psychology class. What was your favorite class when you were in school?

Jo will be giving away a free download of the electronic version of THE WATCHER to one lucky commenter. Also, if you'd like a postcard of either THE WATCHER or THE AVENGER, or even a postcard of Aunty Cindy's THE SIDHE PRINCESS send your snail mail addy to: cindymm18 AT gmail DOT com

Trish Milburn and Living In Color

My good friend and Bandita, Trish Millburn has a new book out, a lovely "women's fiction" story called Living in Color. It is available on Amazon for Kindle and Barnes & Noble for Nook. Since Trish was nice enough to "blog sit" for me in the past while I was off cruising, I couldn't resist the opportunity to have her back while I was actually here to enjoy her visit!

Welcome back, Trish!

Thanks for having me back, Cindy. Always fun to hang out with you.

Please tell us a bit about Living in Color. Was there something in particular that inspired you to write this story?

Here’s the blurb for the book:

After the death of her father, Sabrina Bishop offers to take her mother on a road trip to expose her to a world she’s never seen in her sheltered, abuse-filled life. The trip becomes a journey of unexpected healing and self-discovery not only for her mother, but for Sabrina as well.

I really like road trips, long stretches of road where you can see all kinds of things that you can’t when you fly over them. I also thought about all those hours in a car is a good time to have lengthy conversations, so the idea for a story about a mother and daughter with a strained relationship popped into my head. During their travels, they find out things about each other and themselves that they never expected.

This book is a bit of a departure from your previously published books. Do you have more women’s fiction in mind for your readers?

I’ve written one other women’s fiction book that I need to go back over again. It’s been a while since I’ve looked at it, but it’s a story I really like too, one of those coming-back-home-from-the-place-you-fled stories. And now that I’ve dipped my toe into the women’s fiction waters, I’m sure my brain will be looking for new ideas for stories.

What’s next up for you in terms of books?

Right now, I’m in the midst of revising the first book in a new trilogy coming from Harlequin American, probably in 2012. Then it’s quickly on to revising the second book and finishing writing the third. I’ll also be working on some young adult projects too. So, busy, busy, busy.

I know you love visiting National Parks. Did any of your real life experiences make their way into this story?

Two of the places Sabrina and Ruby visit in Living in Color are Mt. Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota and Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. So I was able to use descriptions of those places from my personal memorial, particularly Yellowstone, which is one of my absolute favorite places. Though it’s not a National Park, they also end up visiting the Gulf Coast of Florida, another of my favorite places. It’s so much easier to write about places you’ve been.

Which National Park that you haven’t yet visited is at the top of your ‘bucket list?’

Oh, so many of them. I’d say the top two are the Grand Canyon and Yosemite in the continental U.S., and all of those gorgeous, enormous parks in Alaska.

Having been to both the Grand Canyon and Yosemite, Aunty can vouch that they are indeed FABULOUS and actually live up to all their hype! I've only been on the coast of Alaska (yes, on a cruise) and it was breath-taking, so I'm sure the interior will be equally stunning.

What about the rest of you? Have any road trips planned for the near future? What about those on the top of your 'Bucket List?' Please share with us!

Rita Finalist Kendra Leigh Castle

Friday, March 25th was an exciting day for romance writers everywhere, because that was the day the finalists were announced in the Golden Heart and Rita contests -- the two BIGGIES in the world of romance!

This year, I was thrilled when I learned that my buddy Kendra Leigh Castle is a Rita Finalist in the Contemporary Series Romance: Suspense/Adventure category! So without further adieu, here's Kendra talking about being a Rita finalist...

Thanks for letting me come over to celebrate, Aunty Cindy! I’m still doing the Dance of Joy. Well, okay, it’s more like a really happy shuffle by now, but I’m still really excited.

Did I sit around on Friday the 25th wishing for my very own “You’re a RITA finalist” call? Well, duh, yeah. But did I actually expect to GET a call? Nope.

Don’t get me wrong. RENEGADE ANGEL is a book I’m very proud of, one of those stories that showed up in my imagination and insisted I write it right now (and of course, I was writing a contracted book at the time, so it gave me fits trying to hold a big, bossy fallen angel at bay while I worked on something else that people were, you know, paying me for).

But lots of amazing authors enter the RITAs. Finaling isn’t something you expect. It’s just something you dream of, something you hope for. I’ll tell you what, though. Dreaming of how it would feel to have a member of the RWA board call me up and tell me my book was a RITA finalist was nowhere near as amazing as having it actually happen.

I’m never going to forget the sound of Jeanne Adams’ voice, and how lovely it was to have someone to be excited with me in that moment. She’ll probably remember me as the least coherent finalist she spoke with…I have vague memories of my mouth opening and increasingly high-pitched sounds coming out of it. And some words, which may or may not have made sense when strung together. I’m thinking “not”. Still, she was very nice. And I’m glad I waited until I hung up to sound my barbaric yawp (complete with booty-shaking victory dance).

RENEGADE ANGEL is a book that means a lot to me, for a few reasons. It marked a new chapter in my fledgling writing career, the beginning of my relationship with Harlequin (which is awesome, btw), and apart from all that, was just a hell of a lot of fun to write. Raum will probably always be one of my favorite heroes—see the picture I used for his inspiration and try not to melt—and I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that he’s found a way to get even more attention for his big, black-winged self.

It isn’t really important whether or not I win. I mean, yeah, I would love to! But right now, I’m just busy being honored that I’ve been singled out among all my amazing peers for contributing something special. Thanks for letting me share my excitement with you!

Thank YOU, Kendra for sharing your story and your very YUMMY hero with us! Oh, and thanks for telling us about your call from my lovely Bandita Le Duchesse, Jeanne. Actually, Aunty would be curious to hear that yawp and see your booty-shaking victory dance. If you do win (and my fingers are xxed that you will!), will you do an even more vigorous version of that dance? Will sequins be involved?!?!

Do any of you readers have any suggestions for Kendra when she goes up on stage to claim her Rita award on July 1st? Any dance moves or costume suggestions?

I happen to know that Kendra is taking her dad as her date for the big awards ceremony, but if you could go, who would you ask to go with you? And what would you wear?

Q&A with Misa Ramirez

I'm so pleased to have another friend and chapter mate of mine on the blog doing Questions and Answers. (Just click on the title of this blog post to visit Misa's website.) Last year, Misa Ramirez launched her debut novel and book one in the Lola Cruz Mystery series, Living the Vida Lola. This month, Lola is back with the publication of Misa's second novel, Hasta La Vista, Lola. So without further adieu, here are the questions and Misa's answers...

Please tell us about your latest release Hasta La Vista, Lola and how you came up with the idea for the book.

Thanks for having me here today, Cindy! It's been a busy couple of week with the release of Hasta la Vista, Lola! This is the second book in the Lola Cruz Mystery series, and was so much fun to write. The initial idea for the mystery sparked from a newspaper article I read in the Sacramento Bee quite a few years ago. There was a man who died, and his wife discovered after his death that he'd led a completely separate life with another wife and kids. I took that idea and twisted it around, Lolafied it, and ultimately the mystery evolved into something else, but that was how it started. Little ideas take hold and sprout and before long you have a whole tree!

The mystery in the first book also came about from a newspaper article. It was an unusual way for someone to die, and I ran with it.

In Hasta la Vista, Lola!, Lola walks into her parents' house to find nearly every single relative of hers there...mourning her death. Except, of course, she's not dead! Which begs the questions, who is dead, why was she using Lola's name, and who was the intended victim?

Lola Cruz Mysteries are equal parts mystery and romance/relationship, so much of the book continues where Living the Vida Lola left off with Jack Callaghan and the on again/off again relationship they're having.

How long have you been writing and what inspired you to start writing?

I've been writing on and off for 15 years, or so, but with the intention of publication, about 6 years. I taught middle and high school English/Language Arts; reading and writing have always been a passion of mine. I'm so fortunate to be able to do what I love!

What are your favorite and least favorite parts about writing?

I enjoy revision the most, believe it or not! I know, I know, CRAZY!!! For me, the first draft is always the hardest. I really struggle with plotting and my characters evolve slowly, so sometimes it's an excruciating process (which I still love!). Revision allows me to add to what I've already created, to fine tune, to create layers, and to really dig in.


What is next on the horizon for Misa Ramirez?

I've developed a middle grade series for girls called Quiz Girl. It's being shopped now. I'm currently working on a women's fiction novel with magical realism, and books 3 and 4 in the Lola Cruz Mystery series are being submitted as we speak. I'm always busy, busy, busy!

I've also launched a brand new web site called Books on the House (http://booksonthehouse.com ) which is all about bringing great books to readers. Each Monday an author and book are featured, and the following Monday, several copies of that book are given away to random winners. We'll feature skype interviews, as well. I've been working really hard on it, and am so excited to see it grow.

And, of course, I'm always chasing heroes! (http://chasingheroes.com ) Never a dull moment.

Thanks for having me, Cindy!
Thank YOU, Misa, for taking time out from your very busy schedule to do the Q&A!

Now it's your turn! Do you have a question for Misa about her books or her writing process? Don't be shy! She'd love to hear from you!

Interview with Donna Del Oro

Since this blog is about 'the good, the bad, and the ugly' aspects of the writing life, I decided to start something new: Author Interviews! Maybe some of you would actually like to read about somebody else besides moi! DUH! What a concept!

Anyway, my first victim -- er, um, participant is my good friend and chaptermate, Donna Del Oro, who has published two humorous contemporary romances. BIG THANX Donna for volunteering to answer a few questions! (and if you want to learn more about Donna, just click on the title of this post to go to her website.)

Please tell us about your newest release Hasta La Vista, Baby and how you came up with the idea for the book.

After my sister's divorce, I began thinking about divorce and why women choose certain men as their spouses over other, possibly more worthy, men. This became the premise of HASTA LA VISTA, BABY.

Sonya, an art teacher and talented muralist, is informed by her handsome but lying and cheating husband that he wants a divorce so that he can marry his pregnant (and younger) girlfriend. Sonya goes berserk and chases him around the pool with a BBQ fork. His family separates them, Earl leaves and Sonya collapses with an emotional meltdown. Later, much later, when the fog in her mind lifts, she begins to analyze herself and her choice of men. An artist, she's always turned a blind eye to most things practical and introspective. An obsession with beauty, including gorgeous men, has been her detriment in life. It takes a while and the steadfast friendship of her soon-to-be-ex's younger brother, Scott, before Sonya wakes up and wises up. For her, self-awareness is a painful process but a necessary journey. I was thinking of my sister as I concluded the story.

How long have you been writing? And what inspired you to start writing?

Like most authors, I've been writing since childhood, but I began this serious journey to authorship when I retired from 34 years of high school teaching. I'm afraid writing's a need and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to stop. I love good stories and interesting characters, whether in books, movie-celluloid or TV.

What are your favorite and least favorite parts about writing?

I love playing God and getting to know my characters and then moving them around in my story like pieces on a chessboard. Most of the time, however, they end up with a life of their own and moving themselves ...and me! I dislike rejections, naturally, and the terrible uncertainty that your last novel might indeed be the last one.

What is next on the horizon for Donna Del Oro?

I'm currently revising an FBI mystery novel, A BODYGUARD OF LIES, and a psychic thriller with a Greek-American hunk who's obsessed with a beautiful psychic and her past. One's with one agent and the other's with another agent. A small publisher wanted to buy the thriller but I turned down the offer. Frankly, I'm holding out for a NY publisher.

Floricanto Press wants me to write a sequel to my first novel, OPERATION FAMILIA, so I might revisit the Hispanic world of Rick Ramos, Dina Salazar and Lisa Luna before long. Being half Hispanic, it's always fun to return to my roots and find humor and satire in this subculture.

You are one busy lady, Donna! Thanks so much for being my first author interviewee and best of luck with all your writing endeavors!

If anyone has more questions for Donna, please ask away as she will be dropping by over the next few days.