My Love Affair with Charlotte …North Carolina, that is!
By Sabrina Luna, author of Crazy for You in the LOVE AGAIN anthology
When I first sat down at my computer to tell Erica and Shawn’s love story in Crazy for You, I knew I wanted it to take place in Charlotte, North Carolina. I grew up just over the stateline in South Carolina and had visited the QueenCity often with friends for special things, like shopping or to see a movie or concert.
In 2006, I moved here and really got to know her better. I say ‘her’ because Charlotte has become more familiar to me. The more I cruise her streets and check out interesting places around the city, I feel a special connection to this city. So, by starting my story off with my hero’s arrival at the CharlotteDouglasInternationalAirport, I knew the QueenCity and her smaller neighbor, PinevilleNC, would be an ideal setting.
Now, I must confess, there are some fictional elements in the setting too. All the names of the stores, restaurants and even the hotel that Shawn stays in are fictional. However, those places are actually based on places in the city I’ve been. While writing, I could see, in my creative mind’s eye, Shawn and Erica in these settings. Not only did it make the scene more believable to me, but I sincerely hope it makes the scene more real to you, the reader, too!
Yes, I’ve been to places like Astro’s Lounge, the uptown club where Erica and the bridal party go for drinks and watch a stripper named Fabio. And the alternation shop and Chinese restaurant in Pineville are loosely based on actual shops in the town just outside of Charlotte too.
But my favorite location in Crazy for You is the hotel in uptown Charlotte where Shawn stays before the wedding. It’s based on one of the city’s newer hotels and I actually attended a private pre-bridal shower party in a room very much like his too. The building seemed to be created with all steel and glass, in which I didn’t personally find cozy, but the high-rise hotel did have a stunning view of the city.
Even though the names of some of the locations are fictionalized, I hope you’ll enjoy a glimpse of Charlotte, North Carolina –the city where I write and live!
Love, Again is a Valentine’s Day anthology from Ruby Lioness Press with a second chance theme. Love, Again releases February 14, 2012.
Crazy for You by Sabrina Luna
Shawn Flint wants to rekindle the spark between him and Erica Kelly when he surprises her and his family by flying into Charlotte, North Carolina for his stepsister’s wedding, but Erica is still cautious, wanting to keep their affair a secret. Can Shawn overcome Erica’s protests and convince her that he is totally crazy for her?
A kiss can be either drugging, or well, disgusting. Depends on who is doing the kissing. I believe chemistry between the two people plays a big role. What about if it’s the first kiss between two people? Imagine the anticipation and anxiety wondering how it would be, or the first physical contact? Or if two people, two best friends, one has always had feelings for his best friend, while the other is unaware of his/her friends feelings. Every person has a different reaction. Myself, I love a kiss that makes my toes curl. Better than sex anytime, and the good thing is, kisses can happen anywhere. And can lead to much, much more. If the kiss is as scorching as it is intoxicating, the sex will be better.
In my contemporary romance, Frey and Liese share a kiss. I’d like to share an excerpt from Truly, Madly, Deeply, You.
“Like, say, a kiss. On my cheek, if my lips might be little bit overwhelming for you.”
He became aware of the change in her breathing, and her squirming on the seat.
“Is that a challenge, Frey? You know better than to dare me. I never walked away
from a dare, remember?”
Oh, yes. He remembered every detail of the dares they had had over the years, up until
she got married to Bastian. An idea began forming in his head. Maybe, just maybe this would
be the one way…. “Yes, Li. It’s a dare. Come on, show me what you have in you.”
He saw hesitation in her eyes, uncertainty. If he didn’t goad her, she wasn’t going to
kiss him. And right now, he wanted that more than the cold air he breathed. “Scared of an itsy
bitsy little challenge?”
Her eyes narrowed at the challenging tone. Her full lips tightened, and then stretched
into the amazing smile that always sent his heart to a full gallop inside his chest.
“As a matter of fact, no.” She leaned forward and brushed her lips over his, then
pulled back and stared at him.
He rolled his eyes. “That was purely for show.” He leaned his head back, and lifted a
brow at her. “Is that all you got for me, Miss Dare-Me-Anytime-of-the-Year?”
She inhaled sharply. Without warning, she slid her hands around his neck and yanked
him closer. Her lips crashed into his, soft yet demanding. Caught off guard, he braced his
hands behind her head on the car seat to keep his full weight from landing on her. This was
the most awkward position he had ever kissed anyone in, or been kissed in, for that matter.
Before he could adapt to the quality of the kiss, it changed. The demanding note was gone,
and was replaced by a kiss so sensual it wiped the painful stitch from his side, along with any
sense of coherent thought. He groaned and shifted his body. Without breaking the kiss, he
climbed into the car, knelt in front of her, and urged her knees apart to accommodate his
torso. And then it ended so fast he was left reeling and breathing heavily.
He leaned forward, touching his forehead to hers. He closed his eyes, trying to breathe
in and out normally. He was aware of her rapid breathing, just as fast as his, and he knew the
kiss affected her as it had affected him.
His eyes flew open at the soft chuckle, cutting through the charged-up air.
“So, what were you saying Mr Dare-To-Kiss-Me?” The hands dropped away from his
face, but the warmth of them, and the kiss, lingered on.
“Intoxicating,” he said, as he attempted to step out of the car.
I just love a well done butter me up scotching kiss. J
Book Title: Truly, Madly, Deeply, You
Author: Cecilia Robert
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: InkSpell Publishing
Publication Date: March 21st 2012
Format: eBook, Kindle
Book Synopsis:
Four days before Valentine’s Day, Liese Hansfeld is determined to shut the door to her house, as well as her heart, for her annual four days of mourning her one true love. Little does she know her best friend Freytag Meier is just as determined to keep her from her ritual. He’s ready to pick the lock to her apartment door and camp in her living room if that’s what it takes.
What Freytag isn’t prepared for is the surge of deep-rooted emotions he feels for Liese, but two things stand in his way: the grief and guilt she still clutches close to her heart, and a man who threatens to snatch Liese from under Frey’s watchful eye. Frey is determined to distract her into forgetting her pain. But is that enough to ease her grief, or help her see he can be more than her best friend
Cecilia Robert enjoys the play and weave of words that make up a good story. She enjoys creating fantastical worlds and getting lost in them. She often meets a prince, a princess, a pirate, ordinary and badass boy or girl who take her through the wonderful world of dreaming and fantasy.
She doesn’t have particular leanings to any kind of story as long as it captures her attention She reads and enjoys urban/dark fantasy romance, paranormal, contemporary, sci-fi, mystery or horror as much as her children’s school books.
Some nights, you can find her reading Puss in Boots for her daughter, or trying to understand how to read Manga comics from her son.
Becoming Sage The Keyhole #1 By Kasi Alexandra Amazon | B&N With a failed marriage behind her, Jill Marten was looking to start a new chapter in her life. She had no idea that running into her old friend, Jessie, would unlock a whole new world. When she accepts Jessie’s invitation to a party, in order to “try something completely different,” it awakens a need to discover her place in a new community. Jessie, also known as sunni, is a submissive slave who is in a loving relationship with her Master, Sir Rune. When Rune and sunni ask Jill to be a part of their family, Jill begins her journey into submission, bondage, and polyamory, even as she questions everything that she has been taught about love and relationships. She begins to face her own desires and fears as she struggles with feelings of jealousy, inadequacy, and self-worth. Once she opens the door to a life she never imagined, a peek through the keyhole is no longer enough, and she must learn what it means to become sage. Kasi Alexander’s debut novel, Becoming sage, is the first installment in The Keyhole Series. An active member of the BDSM community, Kasi brings a true-to-life realism to her writing. This is not traditional erotica, but the series offers an intimate look into the lives of the men and women who live the BDSM lifestyle, in particular, the Master/slave dynamic. Review by Kimberly: Jill is coming off of a divorce and is at a point where she just wants to figure out what she wants in life. She reconnects with a old school mate, Jessie, who introduces Jill to her boyfriend, Rune. But when they head to a party Jill starts to see a different way of life involving BDSM and Polyamory. She is invited into the world of Sir Rune and sunni (Jessie) and into a world where she feels she belongs not just to another but to herself as well. If you are looking for a book about sex this is not the one to read. This is a story written in the first person by Jill. The author, Kasi Alexander, is actually an active part of this community which makes the book much more realistic. Kasi follows the old saying “Write what you know”. The point of this book is not to turn a person on… it is an introduction to a lifestyle. If you are into the lifestyle already then you will feel at ease reading this book and will probably see a portion of yourself in this book. If you are not involved in the lifestyle you may find this informative as long as you are open minded. You will find Jill asks a lot of the questions you yourself might ask. Open the book. Open your mind. Open yourself up to another world you didn’t even know you would enjoy!
Can she love him if she can’t remember him? Molly Anderson returns “home” to a town she doesn’t remember, hoping it will spark a memory. She runs into Trent Williams, an off duty police officer, and something else definitely sparks. He wants to know why she left town, with her parents, but without a word to anyone. She doesn’t remember that life. She can only tell him she knew her parents briefly before they died . . . or were murdered, she’s not sure. She hopes regaining her memory will help answer that question. Trent has his own secrets, but they have a mystery to solve. As they work together and Molly meets their old friends, she realizes their relationship went deeper than memories. In fact, she grew up in Ridge City, even though her parents had said they lived there just a few years. How could she have forgotten her lifelong friend and love? Can she love him again if she doesn’t remember him? There’s also the possibility that she did something awful — and maybe that’s why she’s afraid to remember her old life. Molly knows she wants him now, but the truth might destroy their love.
Review by Kimberly: 4 Stars Molly has forgotten everything and everyone she has ever known and doesn’t even know how it happened. So she heads to places her parents mentioned they have lived before they died in a car accident. In a little town in Oregon she walks into a police station with some questions and she runs into Trent. He cannot believe the woman who walked away from him 5 years ago has just walked back into his life. But when he realizes she doesn’t remember anything he decides he will make it his mission to find the answers that Molly needs to help her remember. And then maybe she will remember the love they shared. Molly seems lost but strong at the same time. She really wants to remember but is afraid of what she might find out and you really feel for her. Trent is an all-around good guy. They are both very likeable characters. You really end up wanting to know what caused her memory loss. And what traumatic event could have happened that makes her want to forget everything. And I will say while I did try to think of reasons I never went to the answer that was actually given. And while I might have changed a couple of the end “answers” if I had been the writer, the book was really well written and enjoyable. Definitely worth putting on your e-book reader list.
Kidnapped by the Greek Billionaire By Rachel Lyndhurst Amazon | B&N
Kidnapped!
Or that’s what it feels like to Kizzy Dean when a business disagreement with arrogant Greek lawyer Andreas Lazarides leaves her no choice but to accompany him to the Greek Isle of Rhodes. It doesn’t help matters this sexy brooding stranger, who is unaccustomed to the word No and the very idea of commitment, shows her what it feels like to be truly desired.
Amidst the ancient myths and alleyways, tensions run high as Kizzy feels an immediate attraction for the man she wants to both ravage and strangle.
Accustomed to gold-digging women, Andreas is mesmerized by Kizzy’s feisty nature and Gypsy beauty. Guilt and sorrow have been his only bedfellows since his sister’s death, but Kizzy stirs up a desire he’s unwilling to succumb to… until she makes him an offer he simply can’t refuse.
Review by Flying Frog Fairy: 2 Stars
Ok, let me start by saying that this book is from a new line by Entangled Publishing, called Lori Wilde’s Indulgence. It is described like this:
“Lori Wilde’s Indulgence offers readers quick paced, exciting contemporary category romances. Whether funny, sexy, mysterious, edgy, or emotional, they showcase what it’s really like to fall in love in the twenty-first century. The 45,000-60,000 word category romances are written by fresh and hip voices in the industry. Hallmarks of the line will be rapid-fire dialogue, fast moving plot lines, sizzling sex, and realistic characters. Above all, the heartfelt emotions that speak to the way young people live, love, and work will be at the center of every story. Lori Wilde’s Indulgence will launch February 14th and will be priced at $2.99 per title.”
I have to admit, I didn’t know what to expect from this when I began Kidnapped by the Greek Billionaire. The hero really turned me off in the beginning. He was thoughtless, arrogant and a plain old jerk. Later on, we learn that there are issues in the past that lead him to behave this way, and we do get to see a better side of him but, by then it is almost too late. And while we, the reader, get to see that better side of him, the heroine…not so much. So, why is he so surprised when she doesn’t behave the way he thinks she should? I was just so frustrated reading this book. I wanted to yell at the hero to pull his head out of his ass and start behaving like a human being.
The heroine was not much better. I was dumbstruck that minutes after meeting him, she allows the hero to “kidnap” her away to Greece. It is not really a kidnapping, more of a threat that she caves into. He is testing her, sure she is a golddigger while she…I am not really sure she has a motive. It was like she didn’t have anything better to do, so she went along with it. Yes there were the initial sparks and she was attracted to the big, hunk of man, but once he showed his true colors, I would have been running the other way. She just comes off as spineless and not being able to make her own decisions.
That said, as I read on, the characters kind of grew on me. I was really rooting for Andreas to finally stop living on the past and see what was right in front of him. For all her shortcomings, Kizzy really did fall in love with the dumb galoot. When the inevitable happens, instead of that ending the story and having HEA, it is just a catalyst for more angst and drama. During the last 1/4 of the book, I really, FINALLY, felt for the characters.
Then I realized, I had actually felt for them all along. Yeah, I thought Andreas was a dumb ass, and Kizzy was a spineless ninny, but the story actually elicited strong reactions from me. So I am not going to say I loved the book. But I didn’t hate it either. In the end Andreas and Kizzy finally redeemed themselves
Decadent Second W. Lynn Chantale Buy Links: Whispers | Amazon
As a caterer, Darling gets to witness some of life’s happiest moments, but yearns for a marriage proposal of her own. After years of waiting on her beloved to pop the question, she gives up ever having a happy ending of her own and severs the relationship. When she learns she’s pregnant, she has no choice but to face her child’s father on a daily basis as well as the love and attraction she has for him. Darryl Manning always believed Darling would be his forever. After all he didn’t need a piece of paper to show her how much he loved her, but when she leaves him to pursue her dream of owning a catering company and raising his son, he may have to rethink his views marriage. That is if he wants a second chance at family.
Review by Kimberly: 3 stars This is a cute short story. It is different from a lot of stories you read in the fact that the characters where already together recently. It is short but the perfect length. I am not sure if would make a great full length but it is great to have on the go… Darryl and Darlene were together for 6 years. They just didn’t seem to be on the same page when it had to do with their future so Darlene moves out. She then finds out she is pregnant. They go through the pregnancy and birth as parents but not lovers. But now that the baby is around a year old the feelings are coming back… Should they act on them? Will they come together this time to get it right? Is it worth taking the chance? As I said its a cute short love story. Sure pick it up to add to your e-books because it is good story to have ready to read if waiting at a appointment. It only takes an hour to read if that…. So why not have it ready?
Kiss & Make up By Faye Robertson Genre: Category romance Heat: Spicy Length: 150 pages Release Date: 2/14/2012 Amazon | B&N
The Opportunity of a Lifetime… Makeup artist Tabby Rogers is thrilled to land a job on a New Zealand movie set with lots of perks, including getting her hands on sexy Kiwi stunt man, Eli Black.
The sexual electricity zapping between them can’t be denied, but neither of them is in a position to handle happily-ever-after. Eli’s jetting off to Hollywood, Tabby’s next assignment is in the UK. But there’s nothing wrong with a short-term fling, right?
Except as the sparks burn hotter and responsibilities pull at them from opposite ends of the globe, it quickly becomes clear that something’s gotta give. Must Tabby sacrifice her hard-won career for love? Or will Eli forever be the one that got away?
Review by Flying Frog Fairy:
It starts out as a very lighthearted and fun book. Tabby and Eli are both driven twenty-something’s focused on their careers and avoiding any relationships. Meeting for the first time on the set of a movie, there are immediate sparks that neither deny. There is a lot of flirting and the way the characters interact with each other is real and down to earth. I mean, they are on a movie set but there is no star struck, hero worship going on. It’s about real people, doing their jobs in an interesting field. And the secondary characters are just as interesting. And let us not forget about the steamy sex scenes.
Of course, it is not all sunshine and roses. What starts out as a mutually agreed upon short term fling is jeopardized when they develop deeper feelings for one another. While neither is willing to sacrifice their future plans, each asks the other to give them up. This creates a dilemma that causes many problems. Eli is trying to honor a dying wish and Tabby has been burned before. I was rooting for them to get on the same page and work it out. I love them as a couple and was desperately hoping for a HEA ending. Thank goodness Ms. Robertson delivered. I really enjoyed this book. It was fun and easy to read. And yes, it did make me cry just a little.
In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there’s a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Yet none of them relishes killing more than Wrath, the leader of The Black Dagger Brotherhood.
The only purebred vampire left on earth, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But, when one of his most trusted fighters is killed-leaving his half-breed daughter unaware of his existence or her fate-Wrath must usher her into the world of the undead-a world of sensuality beyond her wildest dreams.
In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there’s a deadly turf war raging between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret bound of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Possessed by a deadly beast Rhage is the most dangerous of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.
Within the brotherhood, Rhage is the vampire with the strongest appetites. He’s the best fighter, the quickest to act on his impulses, and the most voracious lover-for inside him burns ferocious curse cast by the Scribe Virgin. Owned by this dark side, Rhage fears the time when his inner dragon is unleashed, making him a danger to everyone around him.
Mary Luce, a survivor of many hardships is unwittingly thrown into the vampire world and reliant to Rhage’s protection. With a life-threatening curse of her own, Mary is not looking for love. She lost her faith in miracles years ago. But when Rhage’s intense animal attraction turns into something more emotional, he knows that he must make Mary his alone. And while their enemies close in, Mary fights desperately to gain life eternal with the one she loves…
A former blood slave, the vampire Zsadist still bears the scars from a past filled with suffering and humiliation. Renowned for his unquenchable fury and sinister deeds, he is a savage feared by humans and vampires alike. Anger is his only companion, and terror is his only passion—until he rescues a beautiful aristocrat from the evil Lessening Society.
Bella is instantly entranced by the seething power Zsadist possesses. But even as their desire for one another begins to overtake them both, Zsadist’s thirst for vengeance against Bella’s tormentors drives him to the brink of madness. Now, Bella must help her lover overcome the wounds of his tortured past, and find a future with her…
Butch O’Neal is a fighter by nature. A hard-living ex-homicide cop, he’s the only human ever to be allowed in the inner circle of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. And he wants to go even deeper into the vampire world-to engage in the turf war with the lessers. His heart belongs to a female vampire, Marissa, an aristocratic beauty who’s way out of his league. And if he can’t have her, then at least he can fight side by side with the Brothers.
But fate curses him with the very thing he wants. When Butch sacrifices himself to save a civilian vampire from the slayers, he falls prey to the darkest force in the war. Left for dead, he’s found by a miracle, and the Brotherhood calls on Marissa to bring him back, though even her love may not be enough to save him.
In Caldwell, New York, war rages between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Now the cold heart of a cunning predator will be warmed against its will…
Ruthless and brilliant, Vishous, son of the Bloodletter, possesses a destructive curse and a frightening ability to see the future. As a pretrans growing up in his father’s war camp he was tormented and abused. As a member of the Brotherhood, he has no interest in love or emotion, only the battle with the Lessening Society. But when a mortal injury puts him in the care of human surgeon, Dr. Jane Whitcomb compels him to reveal his inner pain and taste true pleasure for the first time-until a destiny he didn’t choose takes him into a future that cannot include her…
Fiercely loyal to the Black Dagger Brotherhood, Phury has sacrificed himself for the good of the race, becoming the male responsible for keeping the Brotherhood’s bloodlines alive. As Primale of the Chosen, he is obligated to father the sons and daughters who will ensure that the traditions of the race survive, and that there are warriors to fight those who want all vampires extinguished.
As his first mate, the Chosen Cormia wants to win not only his body, but his heart for herself. She is drawn to the noble responsibility behind the emotionally scarred male. But Phury has never allowed himself to know pleasure or joy. As the war with the Lessening Society grows grim, tragedy looms over the Brotherhood’s mansion, and Phury must decide between duty and love….
Caldwell, New York, has long been the battleground for the vampires and their enemies, the Lessening Society. It’s also where Rehvenge has staked out his turf as a drug lord and owner of a notorious night club that caters to the rich and heavily armed. His shadowy reputation is exactly why he’s approached to kill Wrath, the Blind King and leader of the Brotherhood.
Rehvenge has always kept his distance from the Brotherhood-even though his sister is married to a member, for he harbors a deadly secret that could make him a huge liability in their war against the lessers. As plots within and outside of the Brotherhood threaten to reveal the truth about Rehvenge, he turns to the only source of light in his darkening world, Ehlena, a vampire untouched by the corruption that has its hold on him-and the only thing standing between him and eternal destruction.
John Matthew has come a long way since he was found living among humans, his vampire nature unknown. Taken in by The Brotherhood, no one could guess what his true history was-or his true identity.
Xhex has long steeled herself against the attraction to John Matthew. Until fate intervenes and she discovers that love, like destiny, is inevitable.
Payne, twin sister of Vishous, is cut from the same dark, warrior cloth as her brother: A fighter by nature, and a maverick when it comes to the traditional role of Chosen females, there is no place for her on the Far Side… and no role for her on the front lines of the war, either.
When she suffers a paralyzing injury, human surgeon Dr. Manuel Manello is called in to treat her as only he can- and he soon gets sucked into her dangerous, secret world. Although he never before believed in things that go bump in the night- like vampires- he finds himself more than willing to be seduced by the powerful female who marks both his body and his soul.
As the two find so much more than an erotic connection, the human and vampire worlds collide … just as a centuries old score catches up with Payne and puts both her love and her life in deadly jeopardy.
In the darkest corners of the night in Caldwell, New York, a conflict like no other rages. The city is home to a band of brothers born to defend their race: the warrior vampires of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.Now back in the Brotherhood – and unrecognisable as the vampire leader he once was – Tohrment is physically emaciated and heartbroken beyond despair. When he begins to see his beloved in his dreams – trapped in a cold, isolating netherworld – Tohr turns to a self-serving fallen angel in hopes of saving the one he has lost.
When he’s told he must learn to love another to free his former mate, Tohr knows they are all doomed…Except then a female with a shadowed history begins to get through to him. Against the backdrop of the raging war with the lessers, and with a new clan of vampires vying for the Blind King’s throne, Tohr struggles between the buried past, and a very hot, passion-filled future… but can his heart let go and set all of them free?
Books-n-Kisses is please to have Elizabeth McKenna on the blog today to talk about her newest release Cera’s Place.
Q1) Can you please share with us a little about yourself
Elizabeth: I’m a full-time technical writer/editor for a large software company. I live in Wisconsin with my husband (whom I have loved since I was sixteen (is that the proper use of “whom”? I can never remember)), two teenage girls (who are smart, talented and beautiful), and a sassy yellow lab (who is also beautiful but rules the house much to my dismay). I telecommute, so I’m able to fit in my professional, family, and creative writing duties throughout the day. I love to travel with my husband and sleep. (I really love to sleep…)
I always thought I took after the Irish side of my family until I visited Germany this past summer. I found a country that is as worried about cleanliness and following the rules as I am. They are my soul mates.
Q2) Have you always wanted to be an author?
Elizabeth: Yes, but I’m a big self-doubter and creative people have always intimidated me. In college, I started as an English major but then switched to Journalism. I tend to write concisely and I wasn’t comfortable with the other English majors who could write paragraph long sentences (I’m still not). So, my path veered off into non-fiction writing. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I tried to write fiction.
Q3) What is your most interesting writing quirk?
Elizabeth: Before I start writing for the day, I have to check my list of websites (Hotmail, Facebook, Google+, Goodreads, Amazon, etc.). I’m OCD, so I guess it is my ritual. I can’t concentrate until I do.
Q4) Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
Elizabeth: Cera’s Place is set in San Francisco 1869. Cera runs a saloon but, unlike other such businesses of the times, she doesn’t allow prostitution. Over the years, she has helped women escape their terrible lives and become “respectable.” Jake is an ex-soldier haunted by his Civil War experiences. He’s on a mission to find the daughter of a friend who died in battle. One of the subplots of the novel is based on actual events. During this time period, since the majority of the Chinese population in California was male, Asian women were kidnapped and forced into prostitution in America. The Anti-Prostitution Act of 1870 made it illegal to import women for criminal or demoralizing purposes. Cera and Jake team up to fight a gang that is kidnapping Chinese girls for the local brothels. Of course, in the process they fall in love.
Q5) How did you come with the idea for this story?
Elizabeth: I’ve always loved rugged heroes, so it was easy to choose a western type of story for my debut novel. The Chinese subplot came from research of the time period. I made Jake an ex-soldier because I have a relative who has done a few tours in Iraq. It is a challenge trying to be a “regular person” after that. I have so much respect for the men and women in the military. They give up a lot to protect us.
Q6) Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
Elizabeth: I’m working on Moonlight in Venice, another historical romance set in the 1750s. I love the cover art I found for it (see my website). The storyline involves murder, theft, art, Freemasonry, Carnival season, pregnancy, and cataracts – and love, of course, lots of love.
Q7) Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?
Elizabeth: I would love to meet J.K. Rowling. Her hard covers sit on my bookshelf like priceless artwork. I had to buy my girls their own copies since they weren’t allowed to touch mine. I would like to thank her for giving us so many years of enjoyable reading.
Q8) What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?
Elizabeth: I have this quote by Milton Lomask plastered everywhere, “There’s no right way of writing. There’s only your way.” Not everyone will like your writing – and that’s ok. With that said, however, critiques are important. I had several writers/editors review Cera’s Place and I learned so much from them. I am grateful they took the time to help me.
Q9) Can you share with us something off your bucket list.
Elizabeth: Does quitting my day job to write fiction full time count? If not, touring Italy with my girls is high on my list. My husband and I vacationed there before we were married. The food was fantastic – those people really know how to eat. I would love to experience it again with my family.
Q10) What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
Elizabeth: I’m dying to see what Suzanne Collins puts out next. My girls and I can’t wait for the Hunger Games movie. We are Camp Peeta.
Q1) Is there anything else you would like to add?
Elizabeth: I’d like to thank Books-n-Kisses for giving me the opportunity to talk about Cera’s Place today. As an indie author, I get kicked around a lot, so I’m always looking for new friends! I really hope your readers like Cera’s Place. I tried to make it both historically accurate and entertaining. Feel free to contact me (elizabethmckennaauthor@hotmail.com) with any comments or questions!
Books-n-Kisses is pleased to let Timothy Sagges take over the blog today:
I’ve been inspired to write since sixth grade. My teacher, Miss Fletcher, would regularly assign book reports to the class. Thank God the stories we were to read and report back on were short. As is currently true, I was never an avid reader.
Miss Fletcher and I discovered together that I also lacked the discipline to structure a book report in a way that made any sense. Instead of reporting on Jack and Jill’s motivation for running up the hill, I would explore and expound on the possibilities and consequences of the well being empty, their quest for water, and the exotic places the two would travel to fetch a pail.
In what I know now to be her ability to help a child grow, she would elevate my pathetic attempts at book reporting to what would become a weekly ritual of Timmy reading to the class his latest story.
As I grew and set my sights on becoming independently wealthy, I put my zest for writing on the back burner and set out to earn a living. And although hundreds, possibly thousands of ideas have, over the decades, popped into my head and have been duly scribbled on post-its for future reference, it wouldn’t be until my 49th year of life that I would make the connection between having a neat idea and the process of writing. Writing is hard work. Staring at a blank computer screen is daunting at best. But one can only mull an idea over for so long before going insane. So with the characters, plot and timeline long ago etched in, and haunting, my brain, I opted to do whatever I could to purge the story and make room for something else, (more stories). And after reading the self-published novel written by a friend of a friend, I thought, I can do that! And I did. With discipline I never knew I possessed I sat at my computer every night for five months with the goal of getting 500 words down on paper.
I would give almost anything to find Miss Fletcher.
***
Best Seller By Timothy B Sagges Paperback Price: $14.99 ISBN: 9781456478193 Pages: 326 Release: February 2011 Amazon | B&N | BestSeller-book.com
Thirty-five year old fiction writer, Richard Rossi would do just about anything to get his manuscript published. However, months of rejection and unanswered prayers have strained his capacity to hope. Alone in New York City, he teeters on the brink of alcoholism, as his hope erodes into desperation.
His prayers are finally answered when a simple misdirected piece of mail spawns a chance encounter with an extraordinary man, Seth Volos, Publisher. And while their unholy alliance thrusts Richard to the top of every Best Seller list in America, the horrifying outcome for the book’s legions of fans is anything but a happy ending.
Timothy B. Sagges Bio: Fifty-year-old actor, director and playwright, Tim Sagges has been tormented by a series of recurring night terrors since 1967, long before there was a name for such a curse. It is only recently that he has found the courage to formulate some of these visions into works of literature. In an effort to purge himself of the unrelenting horror of his dreams, he has created Best Seller, the first in a series of nightmares exorcised from his mind and onto the page.
Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome Rachel Lyndhurst. We are talking about her new book Kidnapped by the Greek Billionaire.
Q1) Can you please share with us a little about yourself
Rachel: I live with my daughter, son and The Exec in Fareham, Hampshire, on the south coast of England and can sometimes smell the sea from my back garden. I write full-time when my children are at school, but am still proud of my law degree and accountancy qualifications. I’ve worked in the space industry, pharmaceuticals, insurance, a supermarket, a bus station, a railway depot, and a lingerie department among others. When not working, my hobbies include rummaging through antique shops, talking to our chocolate brown Rex rabbit and popping into Sainsbury’s. I’m also partial to the odd glass of wine and collect expensive lipstick like a maniac.
Q2) Have you always wanted to be an author?
Rachel: Not consciously. I spent my childhood wanting to be many things, including becoming a Concorde pilot, but the writing was always there. I loved writing silly stories including my friends and our imaginary adventures in the Maggot Club (don’t ask!), then there were the angsty teenage poems ridiculing boys that I fancied rotten. In my twenties the boring old office job improved when a subversive Viz-style comic came into being – it featured a character that looked like my boss quite heavily. I left that job soon after! After a decade working in as an accountant, I really did begin to think how wonderful it would be to become an author instead!
Q3) Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?
Rachel: I have so many different favourite writers I’m not sure where to begin but they would include India Grey, Sue Moorcroft, George Orwell, Salman Rushdie and Howard Jacobson. No one author has influenced me, but reading 1984 by George Orwell as a teenager changed the way I looked at life for good.
Q4) How did you get into writing in this specific genre? Have you ever thought about writing in a different genre?
Rachel: I came across romance, specifically category romance, relatively recently. Being able to stuff a small paperback into my handbag and read short chunks at a time when the babies were asleep kept me sane in early motherhood. Like many aspiring authors, I read a few and thought ‘I could do this, how hard can it be?’ Six years later, here I am, it wasn’t that easy after all!
I’ve thought about writing in a different genre, yes, but I couldn’t bear a story without a happy ending or a developing emotional and physical connection between two people. I guess that narrows my choices. Oh, and I’ve never read a horror or crime novel, so that’s out. And blood, I don’t like gore. Also ghosts spook me. Actually romance suits me just fine!
Q5) What are some of your writing rituals?
Rachel: I’m not sure I actually have any rituals. I’m worried now that I should! I just try to get on with it most days, which isn’t always as easy as it sounds. I do faff about quite a bit and make lots of cups of tea…
Q6) Can you please tell us about your latest book?
Rachel: Here’s the blurb for my latest book with Entangled Indulgence, Kidnapped by the Greek Billionaire:
Kidnapped!
Or that’s what it feels like to Kizzy Dean when a business disagreement with arrogant Greek lawyer Andreas Lazarides leaves her no choice but to accompany him to the Greek Isle of Rhodes. It doesn’t help matters that this sexy brooding stranger, who is unaccustomed to the word No and the very idea of commitment, shows her what it feels like to be truly desired.
Amidst the ancient myths and alleyways, tensions run high as Kizzy feels an immediate attraction for the man she wants to both ravage and strangle.
Accustomed to gold-digging women, Andreas is mesmerized by Kizzy’s feisty nature and Gypsy beauty. Guilt and sorrow have been his only bedfellows since his sister’s death, but Kizzy stirs up a desire he’s unwilling to succumb to . . . until she makes him an offer he simply can’t refuse.
Q7) How did you come with the idea for this story?
Rachel: The main location of the book was inspired by a holiday in historic Lindos, Rhodes. Not only was I gripped by the incredible age and architecture of the place, but also by the Greek Legends associated with it; particularly Helios the sun god and his demi-god son Phaeton. A salutary tale of what can happen if you don’t do as your father tells you. A fiery battle of disobedience and death. I wondered if I could bring the story up to date in a contemporary romance.
While considering how I could get my heroine from her grotty flat in the UK to sun-baked Rhodes, I read a poignant newspaper article about General Sir Mike Jackson’s son, Mark Jackson, who reinvented himself after injury forced him to leave the army. He gave his sculpture of a lifeless Icarus his own scars. This story moved and inspired me towards Andreas Lazarides’ dark secret.
Then a few weeks later I was suddenly whipped of to drink champagne on the London Eye in my best frock. Far too good an experience not to use, and I couldn’t wait to either; it needed to go into this book, so this is where Kidnapped by the Greek Billionaire begins.
I have also been a member of Amnesty International for many years which has raised my awareness of many issues that rarely make the daily news. They send me regular magazines and sometimes I’m brave enough to read them. In one particular issue there was an article about human rights abuse of Roma in Europe. Europe? Surely not … I did some research on the subject and came across a photograph that still haunts me: a small boy playing an accordion, begging for money. He had to go in.
Somehow all these things became a story with a beginning, middle and an end.
Q8) Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
Rachel: I’m currently going through edits for my second book The Devil to Pay which will be published by the Wild Rose Press, release date to be confirmed. Briefly:
Italian mining CEO, Daniel Bracchi wants to close his loss-making Welsh quarry, but doesn’t count on feisty accountant, Rianna Peters, fighting him all the way. She’s grown used to struggling for everything in life and won’t let him destroy a community and the job that gave her self-respect.
From the green valleys of South Wales to the glitz of Portofino, a clash of cultures is inevitable, as is the seismic sexual attraction between them. Daniel can’t get her hot curves out of his head, but he’s a no strings man and Rianna won’t be used just for sex again. Smoke turns to flame and their high-octane affair unearths buried secrets of sex, tragedy and betrayal. The stakes are high, maybe too high for even love to overcome.
My current other WIP is called The Spanish Billionaire’s Hired Bride, contracted to Entangled Publishing. You’ll have to wait for more details of that one, but it’s set in Spain and the Balearic islands and it’s going to get very, very hot!
Q9) What would you be if you were not an author?
Rachel: Being realistic I’d probably still be an accountant, which is a sobering thought, but it does pay the bills. Being unrealistic, I’d like to be a flamboyant lady antique dealer. Or marry a billionaire …
Q10) What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
Rachel: My To Read Pile is a shocker. HUGE. And that doesn’t include all the juicy downloads on my Kindle! I’m desperate to read all the other Entangled Indulgence releases – but time isn’t on my side at the moment and I’ve only managed Jennifer Probst’s best selling The Marriage Bargain (which is fab!). I’ll be needing a treat soon though, or I will implode!
Q11) Is there anything else you would like to add?
Rachel: I’d like to thank you very much for having me here today on Books-n-Kisses. It’s been lovely! I love to hear from readers too, you can find me in the following places:
WALK LIKE A MAN: How a Woman Writer Captures a Man’s POV
How does “She tipped up her chin at the stranger, resisting the man’s attempt at intimidation” become “He shot the stranger a don’t-fuck-with-me look”?
In order for a female fiction writer to avoid caricature and instead capture the sensibilities of a male, her mindset must change. As we all know, POV is vital in accurately portraying a male character (or any character, for that matter) and thus creating and sustaining verisimilitude. A story hinges on how believably the POV portrays/expresses the character in question, and that believability extends to gender. Even if you jump POVs from hero to heroine, the male POV scenes MUST BE MASCULINE, and therefore DIFFERENT in VOICE, ATTITUDE, and LANGUAGE.
The two sexes are different. We have different world views, mindsets, expectations and preoccupations. For example, one psychologist’s study showed that men think about sex at least sixteen times per day; assuming sixteen hours of wakefulness, that’s a minimum of once per hour. Conversely, women contemplate sex one-third as often. Isn’t it a marvel how men find time to start and fight wars, when so much of their conscious mind is preoccupied with sex? Or find the time to fill a weekend as an armchair quarterback? Are sex, sports and war games their main preoccupations?
Another preoccupation is their sense of “manhood”, their need to prove themselves “manly”. Watch a fence-enclosed playground of children some time. Little girls will reasonably enter and exit via the open gate. Not little boys. The five-foot high cyclone fence becomes a test of physical strength and agility—a challenge of manhood, if you will, and a string of little boys will dare each other to climb over. The little girls look on, some puzzled by the boys’ illogical behavior, others openly admiring the little daredevils who need to resist the lure of logic.
Read the novels of male authors to learn the male mindset. From the cerebral, artistic but nonetheless lethal Mossad assassin, Gabriel, of Daniel Silva, to the military action heroes of Brad Thor; from the political thrillers of Vince Flynn to the police procedurals of Michael Connelly and John Lescroat, to the scientific adventurers of James Rollins and Steve Berry—the male gender has his own distinct Point of View. And that includes, of course, his VOICE, ATTITUDE and LANGUAGE.
So, how to capture a man’s worldview, or—as the German philosophers call it—“weltanschauung”? Sparingly. A male fiction hero uses action more than speech to convey his worldview. A female writer not only has to reflect his POV in inner dialogue and reflection (or narration), but also in his actions and his spoken words. Or lack of them. For a male character, long silences are common. Daniel Silva’s Gabriel, the Mossad agent whose cover is Renaissance art restorer, spends days silently restoring his canvasses while simultaneously plotting his next mission. When a male author writes men’s dialogue, he does so sparingly. When a female author writes men’s dialogue, there is almost no difference between the male and female characters. We don’t realize how little men really speak.
Dialogue, of course, has to reflect the character. Men don’t talk as much as women. This is not stereotype or cliche. The same applies to little girls and boys. Several psychological studies have rated female speech as four to five times more frequent and denser than male speech. There’s more profanity, too, in male speech and many more sports metaphors. How many times have you heard a man say, “Time to get the ball and run with it”? Or “The ball’s in your court”, “I’m going for broke”, and—one from the military—“It’s all FUBAR, man”.
When FBI analyst, Jake Bernstein, in my sexy spy-thriller, A BODYGUARD OF LIES, gazes at the medieval-era Iron Maiden torture chamber in the dungeon at Cardiff Castle, he reflects on man’s inhumanity to man, and then thinks immediately of his German-Jewish grandfather’s survival guilt. He thinks outloud and, in a moment of spontaneous candor, shares his grandfather’s suffering with Meg, the grand-daughter of the woman he’s investigating. In the next moment, he covers his embarrassment by seizing and kissing her. A moment of vulnerability takes a more aggressive, sexual turn. Men’s rule: Never show your weaknesses.
In another scene, by-the-book Bernstein crosses the line and risks his career by becoming sexually involved with Meg, but only after confirming in his own mind Meg’s innocence. He rationalizes his involvement with the needs of his investigation, but soon assumes the role of protector for both the target—the grandmother—and the target’s grand-daughter. Jake shows, not by words of affection, but by action alone his feelings for Meg. That his investigation has been compromised creates a moral and practical dilemma for Jake, which he deals with in his own inimitable way. His lonely search for love supercedes the need for justice, but only temporarily. Ultimately, Jake turns things around. Justice does prevail in the end, but not in the way some might expect or hope.
Surliness, cynicism and sarcasm are all accepted male attributes, especially in tough “alpha” males. From the lone gunslinger to the “Mission Impossible” stoical action hero, the alpha male feels, suffers, but never complains. Especially not to females. He might be flawed, drink or smoke too much, pick the wrong woman, or put himself in life-threatening situations, but HE NEVER COMPLAINS and NEVER CRIES. Remember an incredulous Tom Hanks exhorting his female baseball players, “There’s no crying in baseball!”? There are unspoken mottos of machismo among men: NO CRYING EVER. TAKE IT LIKE A MAN. WALK LIKE A MAN. TOUGHEN UP AND STAND TALL. Those attitudes are deep-seated and intrinsic to a male’s psyche. My seven year-old grandson already has incorporated those mottos into his outlook and behavior, and the male role models in his life are sensitive, educated, verbally gifted men. Somehow, through osmosis of cultural mores, little boys learn what is necessary to WALK LIKE A MAN.
“Defending the Caveman”, a one-man comedy show, reminded me recently of the male mindset and male speech. Men tend to get confused when women are verbose. Like their canine counterparts, they look for tone of voice and body language because they know that women don’t always say what they mean or mean what they say. Look at classic passive-aggressive power struggles between men and women. Men have difficulty arguing back, so they are more inclined to switch to passive-aggressive mode. They don’t like taking orders from a woman, and so if a woman nags a man to be home by five o’clock sharp, you can bet he’ll find something to do until five-thirty. Passive-aggression is a man’s stock in trade. Or he’ll take the opposite stance and just tell you to “fuck off”.
As a rule, however, men tend to clean up their language when in mixed-gender company, and that’s one of the main appeals of men-only clubs and teams. In such an environment, they can blow off steam, scratch themselves, belch outloud, insult each other with “dickhead” and “butt-wipe” and laugh. And still remain good buddies. Imagine women going up to their girlfriends with a greeting like “Hi, fatty” or “Still wearing that old, ratty shirt?” That’d be the end of that friendship. With men, such insults are just friendly talk, a sign of good-humored male-aggression and tolerance. Listen in on a men-only poker game. Or go see the musical, “Jersey Boys”. There’s a reason why men loved that musical but hated “Mama Mia”.
Listen to men when they don’t realize a woman is around. Very hard to do because their sexual antennae always lets them know when a female is nearby or within earshot. But if you can avoid being detected, just tune in to them and listen with an open mind to their speech. It’s hilarious and, for a woman writer, quite an education. Go ahead. Do it. You’ll see what I mean.
A BODYGUARD OF LIES
(release: Jan. 13th)
Has a dual setting, a contemporary one and a WWII/London setting. It’s a blend of romance, mystery and WWII espionage. I researched it while in England, Ireland and Germany in 2009. The story involves a Jewish-American FBI analyst, who’s recruited by MI-5 to go undercover and investigate a naturalized American grandmother. The elderly woman is suspected by MI-5 of being a notorious Nazi spy never caught by the Allies during the war, who caused the deaths of thousands and is wanted for war crimes. Jake Bernstein runs into a series of unexpected obstacles and complications: This spy knows a secret that could endanger the royal family; the old woman has a beautiful granddaughter who threatens to derail his investigation; a neo-Nazi group in Ireland known as the Celtic Wolves; and a clever, cagey old woman who’s not as weak as she looks.
Donna Del Oro spent her childhood in two places, Silicon Valley, CA and the countryside of East Texas, as her father tried several job opportunities. Finally settling in Silicon Valley, she grew up in a bilingual, bicultural world–Spanish on her mother’s side and English on her father’s. Comfortable in both worlds, she decided upon retiring from teaching to write about her Hispanic side. Four women’s fiction books resulted and a series about professional singers, their careers and love lives. Retired and devoting much of her abundant free time to exercise, writing, singing and her grandson, Donna has finally reached a point in life that totally satisfies her. Life is good and she has no complaints, just a lot of gratitude for her many blessings.
