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Writer Wednesday: Meet Paula Shene

Posted on April 8, 2015 by Margaret — No Comments ↓

Children's Author Paula Shene — Paula Shene

Welcome to Writer Wednesday! Today we jump from the world of romance to the world of children’s books as I welcome author Paula Shene. (It’s always good to mix things up a bit, right? Plus, I need some good books for my kids to read while I’m writing. Plus, she reads romance.)

Here Paula shares with us answers to three writerly/readerly questions, and tells us a bit about her books.

What inspires you to write?

Life inspires my muse; situations trigger story lines, and it produces either a children’s story, short stories, articles or blogs.

Which type of romance do you love most, and why?

Presently I lean towards psychological suspense romance in the medical or justice system milieu. I am a catholic taste reader and read everything from zombie to classics, Working of the Brain to on-line Marketing. I devour an author’s line of books. I’m always happy to find a new author or start with a beginning to a series.

What one piece of advice do you wish you’d had when first starting out?

It takes about ten years before you become known if you are published or self-published. Had I known the book I wrote was not to be a one-off, I would had learned marketing more quickly.

What’s next for you?

I have two books being published this month. I’m featured in the Peacock Writers‘ tenth collection of children’s stories to benefit Children’s Charities, and my award-winning children’s story, Digging Bones, which has been online as a WIP, will be published this month as well.

Thank you so much for hanging out with us today, Paula!

Want to learn more about Paula Shene and her writing? Visit her web page.

Writer Wednesday: Meet Tamara Shoemaker

Posted on April 1, 2015 by Margaret — 6 Comments ↓

Woo hoo! Today I welcome personal friend and writer extraordinaire Tamara Shoemaker! Tamara and I have known each other only a year, but I swear I can’t remember life without her. She’s a hoot, y’all.

Tamara’s not technically a romance writer (I’m still trying to lure her over), but there’s plenty of romantic tension laced throughout her fantasy and mystery books. I know, because I’ve read them – and was a beta reader for Soul Survivor, about which you’ll read below. And which you should definitely preorder, because it’s good.

So without further ado, here’s Tamara. Or at least three things about Tamara.

Name two things people don’t know about you.

1.) I’m afraid this secret may have leaked out, but I’ll make it official here: I’m extremely claustrophobic, so I can’t read books having to do with space (no oxygen) or underwater adventures (same problem). Also, closets bother me. And thick blankets. And corsets.

BREATHE!

2.) I love cooked spinach but only if I smother it in mayonnaise. I’ve taught my kids to love it, too. My husband thinks I’m an alien from Planet Gross Things (but there I go talking about space).

BREATHE!

Name one interesting thing you learned in researching/writing your last book.

I got to discover some of the intricacies of what a psychotic break looks like. It was fascinating delving into the mind’s psyche and breaking it down piece by piece, and then with a few keystrokes, melting reason and logic into a few brilliant, broken puddles. I had way too much fun with that.

*Note: I should make it clear that I am not currently, nor have I ever, suffered from a psychotic break.

What one piece of advice do you wish you’d had when you were first starting out?

I love stories with romance threaded through them, and so of course, I twist romance into all my books. In my first book, my two characters played a romance that was flat as cardboard—no romantic tension, no play in their interaction with each other. They could have been one person. It wasn’t until later (with loads more experience under my belt) that I figured out that the romance in a story is just as important as the plot itself. So that means lots of time planning the nuances, the ups, the downs, the frustrations, the joys, but always, ALWAYS, maintaining the fine balance of ROMANTIC TENSION.

Preorder Soul Survivor today!

Soul Survivor is my latest release, a Christian mystery/suspense book set in the Blue Ridge mountains around Asheville, NC (where I grew up). It features Eden Grey, a young woman who attempts to flee her past and the killer it brings by taking shelter in a renovated manor run by her old high school flame. As tensions mount, Eden wonders who she can trust, whether seeming friends or hidden enemies. Will she escape with her life? And yes, of course, there’s romance. 🙂

Soul Survivor is available right now for pre-order, and will hard-release on May 1, 2015. Check out the link for more info: http://booklaunch.io/route11publications/54f9939d66e3bff92b26b195

Thanks, Tamara! I’m so glad you could join us.

Writer Wednesday: Meet Alexa Day

Posted on March 25, 2015 by Margaret — 7 Comments ↓

Welcome back to Writer Wednesday! Today we talk with Alexa Day, writer of “Romance served hot … with a swirl!”

Alexa is a fellow Virginia Romance Writer whom I met In Real Life at the Charlottesville Festival of the Book LoveFest – Huzzah! So settle in, and hear what Alexa has to say about her love of romance, and her latest release, 1-800.

Which type of romance do you love most, and why?

I like those really nontraditional romances, the ones where the hero and heroine are already together but having trouble, or the edgy ones involving complicated themes and ideas like dubcon or sex for money, or the ones with older characters or lesser known periods in history. Romance in the real world looks more like those nontraditional stories, and older people and kinky people and people in rocky relationships find real sexy love, too! We have so much power to change the world’s perception of what romance is, and I’d like to see us pushing the envelope more. Everyone deserves that HEA, and everyone wants to see herself reflected in these stories.

What fellow romance author do you recommend reading, and why?

I have to recommend two: Cara McKenna and Megan Hart. They’re both writing the sorts of stories I love to read, with very complicated romance situations, characters who seem like the cool people you want to know (or maybe already know) personally, super hot sex, and really tender emotions. You can’t go wrong with either of them.

What one piece of advice do you wish you’d had when first starting out?

My author journey started when I entered a pitch contest, for which I did not have to have a completed manuscript. I definitely didn’t think I’d win, so when I did and the editor asked for my full manuscript, she had to wait a pretty long time for me to finish. On the one hand, I wish someone had told me to have that book done when I entered, but if I’d waited and not entered that year (the last, I believe, for that contest), I wouldn’t have gotten the chance!

About Alexa’s latest release, “1-800”:

All Jason wants is the perfect gift for his perfect fiancée, but where’s he going to find a present special enough for the love of his life? To his surprise, the answer is on TV — along with some very sexy saleswomen and some unusually detailed product demos. Shopping channels have never looked quite like this!

Find 1-800: Amazon, B&N, ARe

Want to know more about Alexa Day herself? Visit her here: Website :: Facebook :: Twitter

Writer Wednesday: Meet Angel Nicholas

Posted on March 18, 2015 by Margaret — 2 Comments ↓

Welcome to Writer Wednesday, a new weekly feature in which I’ll be introducing you to one new author (mostly romance, occasionally other genres).

Today we meet the fabulous, and slightly shoe-obsessed, Angel Nicholas! Angel and I met in one of those roundabout ways (meaning I bumped into her on social media, but don’t remember the whens or the hows). She’s a hoot, y’all!

Here she shares with us a little about herself, as well as info on her latest release, Sweet Deception. Enjoy!

Which type of romance do you love most, and why?

I love all romance, but my favorite is romantic suspense. The suspense adds a wonderful tension to the romance, and the romance softens the suspense. It’s the perfect marriage!

Name two things people don’t know about you.

1. When I was six, I almost drowned in a very muddy Missouri river while floating in innertubes with extended family. I was saved when I bumped into my mother’s leg. She grabbed ahold of me and my grandpa carried me from the river. I still recall the very distinct color of the water.

2. I’m the middle child and only daughter, so I suffer both middle-child and only-child syndromes. Yep, I’m an invisible princess!

What one piece of advice do you wish you’d had when first starting out?

Writing is a business. Learn as much as possible about marketing your book to the public, and stay on top of the trends. Knowledge is power.

Bonus answer: The more knowledgeable you are about writing, the more complex it becomes.

SWEET DECEPTION

The thought of adventure makes her break out in hives. His dangerous job makes avoiding relationships easy. This unlikely pair will rock the criminal underground…and each other.

http://www.angelnicholas.com/books.html

Thanks for stopping by, Angel, in spite of my appalling lack of cute footwear. Always a pleasure, m’dear!

Writer Wednesday: Meet Kathryn Barrett

Posted on March 11, 2015 by Margaret — 1 Comment ↓

Welcome to Writer Wednesday!

This week we’ve been graced with a visit from the lovely Kathryn Barrett, author of contemporary romance. Kathryn and I met in person at the Love Between The Covers romance conference, and I’m delighted we’ve continued our acquaintance online in the time since.

Here she shares with us answers to three writerly-related questions, and tells us about her newest release.

Name one interesting thing you learned in researching/writing your last book.

For my last book, Redemption, I had to learn about the two careers of my main characters. Claire worked in a department store and Matt was a film actor/director. So I finally put my business degree to good work as I imagined what those board meetings would be like, with talk of same-store sales, marketing campaigns, etc. (and yes, much of it was left on the cutting room floor, so to speak!). I also learned about the film industry and the technical details of filming. It was fun figuring out how this beautiful, fictitious department store in Philadelphia could be utilized as a film location!

What one piece of advice do you wish you’d had when first starting out?

I wish I’d known that knowing grammar and basic writing skills wasn’t enough. I’d written loads of non-fiction: articles, essays, and I totally kicked butt writing papers in college. But when I tried to write fiction, I had to learn a whole new way of writing, and just knowing how to construct a sentence didn’t cut it. Plotting, characterization, scene structure, and so much more goes into writing a novel—but fortunately I found many books on the craft of writing fiction that helped.

What’s your favorite romance novel of all time, and why?

I would have to say Paradise by Judith McNaught. I picked it up in the base exchange when my husband was serving overseas and I had two toddlers at home. I stayed up all night reading it, laughing, crying, and then laughing again. I was so emotionally affected by that book that I was determined I would write a book that would touch someone else the same way.

Kathryn’s Latest release:

Redemption is the story of a relationship that re-blossoms ten years after it ends in disaster—a disaster that was filmed in Technicolor, as it unfolded on a movie set. Now Claire Porter has just started a new job as CFO of a Philadelphia department store chain when she learns that a film company wants to use the flagship store as a location for their new film. She is determined to keep this from happening, and to keep the star of the film, Matt Grayson, out of her—and her son’s—life.

Find Kathryn at her website, on Facebook, or on Twitter, or check out her Amazon page.

Thanks so much for spending time with us, Kathryn!

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