On Conversations: #Interview with #AAMBookclub #Author Lashanta Charles

It is my pleasure to welcome AAMBookclub Author Lashanta Charles to Conversations today.  She's here to talk about her new release, Lovely Lies. Be sure and check out the excerpt and her interview and get to know Marcia.

Lisa ~ 
____________

Lovely Lies

 
Makynzee has spent all of her life being dependent on people who've always disappointed her, especially her abusive mother. Everyone lies to her - her sister, her uncle, even her beloved father. When her mom strips her of her one true love, gymnastics, she's determined to find and maintain her independence. There's only one little problem...money. She sets out to find a job as a dancer at a gentelman's club, but finds Kalil instead. With his looks, money, and charisma any woman would be crazy not to want him and Makynzee's no different. Falling for him fast she soon discovers some things just arent adding up and Kalil may not be the man she thought he was. He wants to be with her and provide for her, but can he protect her? When a love-struck fan becomes obsessed and begins attacking and stalking Makynzee she questions Kalil's ability to be her protector. Makynzee has no idea who he is, where he came from, or why he's here, but he's determined to have her even if that means eliminating everyone she knows and loves. By any means necessary, right? She belongs to him and he's claiming what's rightfully his, no matter the circumstances. When truths are revealed, they threaten to tear Makynzee's soul apart and chaos becomes her life. Will she be able to escape this temporary insanity or will she become a permanent victim?

Excerpt:

Not much surprises or upsets me anymore when it comes to my mom. In fact, the only things that actually mean anything to me in this house are my Beats headphones, my music, gymnastics, and what little is left of my sanity. I’m surprised that I actually have to contemplate which upsets me more, the stinging sensation across the left side of my face, from the slap my mom just delivered or the sight of her foot stomping on my headphones which flew from my ears when she hit me. I’m a pretty practical girl, so I go with the stomping of the headphones. Before she demolishes them I swoop down and snatch them up. Then our staring contest begins. My look asks “what now,” hers is unreadable, but I think I win. She looks away first.
    “You and these stupid ass headphones make me sick, instead of sitting in your room you should be out trying to find a job and figure out a way to pay for college so I’m not stuck with you for another four years,” she yells.
    “If you hadn’t spent all of the money Daddy saved for me I’d be long gone,” I mumble.
    This surprises her…and me. I’ve never disrespected my mother, never uttered a word back to her. Her surprise quickly fades and as anger replaces the previous emotion, I’m dealt another blow to the face. This time she uses the back of her left hand. The skin on my cheek catches the wedding ring that she still wears and I suppress a yell as I feel the pain. I bring my hand up to my face then look down at the blood that covers my fingers. There’s not much blood so I know it’s not a big cut, but that doesn’t make it hurt any less. I look up at my mother and her eyes dare me to say anything. I don’t. I cower away from her and avert my eyes to the floor.
    “If you weren’t such a fat fuck, you’d still be able to do gymnastics and get a full scholarship!”
    I keep my eyes trained on the floor. I’m not fat and I can definitely still do gymnastics.

Purchase Lovely Lies:
www.amazon.com
www.delphinepublications.com


Get to know Lashanta:

What are you working on at the moment / next?

Right now I’m working on the sequel for “Lovely Lies.” It’s so hard to stay focus. I honestly think I’m bipolar or have some sort of attention deficit disorder or something like that because I have so many projects in my head, I can’t just focus on only one. I’m working on my sequel, but I’m also making notes on my third and fourth book.

Have you had any rejections? If so, how do you deal with them?

Yes! Before signing with Delphine Publications, I queried agents and other publishing companies for roughly 18 months (maybe longer) and they all said no L. My first rejection left me crying like a baby. I was literally inconsolable. Then after a while I came to expect rejections and realized it was just a part of the process. When I finally got an acceptance letter, I actually received 3 other offers for signing within the same month, so I was pretty excited about that.

Do you have an agent? Do you think they’re vital to an author’s success?

No agent at this time, but I ultimately would like to have one. I don’t think they’re vital to your success, but I think they’re a tremendous help. There are some publishing houses that won’t accept unsolicited queries from authors, they only deal with agents. It’s always a good feeling to have that agent on your team and fighting for you though.

From your novel, Lovely Lies, who is your favorite character and why?

I would have to say that my favorite character is Kaeden. He doesn’t show up until later in the story, but he has that personality that intrigues you because he’s so mysterious. It’s as though he’s suddenly there and you’re automatically drawn to him. He has the “bad boy” mentality, but on a level that you’re not used to because he’s so quiet.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Remembering that it was okay for me not to agree with the things my characters do and say. Occasionally, I would find myself writing something and have to stop and reevaluate a few lines because it fit my thoughts more than it fit my character’s personality. There were some things that the characters did that I found just completely went against what I stood for, but I had to remind myself to be okay with that.

Do you prefer eBooks, paperbacks, or hardcovers?

That preference is directly related to where I am and what I’m doing. If I’m out on some sort of Army mission, I prefer paperbacks because I can squeeze them into small compartments of my bags without taking up too much room. If I’m relaxing on a beach or in front of a fireplace, I prefer a nice and sturdy hardcover. Now if I’m traveling or out on the go and running errands, I prefer eBooks that I can easily access on my iPad or my phone.

Is there anything else you’d like to mention?

My debut novel, “Lovely Lies” releases on May 21, 2013 and is available for pre-order now on Amazon. Also, you will find me at this year’s Essence Music Festival doing author meet & greets, book signings, etc.

Lashanta Charles was born and raised in the small town of Orangeburg, SC. She has always been an avid reader of all genres, but Urban/ African American Fiction has always been her true love and is what inspired her to pursue a writing career. In high school, she began letting her classmates read the short stories that she would write and based off of their feedback, her passion for writing pushed her to become a published author. Through trial and error, she has developed a unique writing style that she fully embraces. She penned her first official novel, Lovely Lies, in 2013 and is currently working on the sequel.
 
Currently she lives in Waynesville, MO, with her husband and two children. She is pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in English at Drury University and also serving in the US Army. Her hobbies include spending time with family, travelling, eating, and of course, writing. Her motto is “strive to excel, not to equal.”

Contact Info:
lashantacharles@gmail.com
www.lashantacharles.com (Personal website)
www.delphinepublications.com (Publisher’s website)
www.facebook.com/authorlashanta (Facebook)
www.twitter.com/twiety01 (Twitter)

On Conversations: #author Kristine Mason and her #newrelease

Please welcome author Kristine Mason to Conversations today! She's here to talk about her new Reality TV Romance, Pick Me.

Lisa ~
______________________________________________

PICK ME 

(Reality TV Romance)

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, reality shows are on just about every network. I’ll admit there are some that I can’t get enough of and there are others that leave me scratching my head…Honey Boo Boo anyone?

I’m not about to bash reality shows. How can I when I’ve just launched the first book of my Reality TV Romance series? Reality shows have given me inspiration. Let’s face it. The majority of these shows are likely scripted. The producers know how to gain ratings. The “reality stars” know that appearing on these shows could potentially launch their careers. Yes, I realize I’m generalizing, but…anyone remember Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt?

I came up with the reality show Pick Me while I was writing Kiss Me, a sexy love story about a woman in search of a “friend with benefits.” I loved the concept of Pick Me so much, that I had to write a book involving the show.

To help save the TV reality show, Pick Me, from cancellation, Valentina Bonasera swaps her position as the show’s Production Assistant, to play the role of Bachelorette, only to discover Bachelor Number One, rancher and sports agent, Colt Walker, happens to be her one and only one-night-stand she’d snuck away from six months ago.

Colt had never forgotten the hot, sensual night he’d shared with Valentina, or how she’d left him without so much as a note or her contact information. He’d spent months searching for the woman who’d given him a night he couldn’t forget and thought he’d never see again. Now that she’s in Dallas, he’s determined to make her his…

Here’s a short excerpt from the opening scene of Pick Me:

Colt’s entire body went slack. Thank God this was almost over. One more question, one more half-assed answer and he could quit for a bit. His ranch was calling him, and with the answers he’d given the so-called lovely bachelorette, he doubted she’d pick him for her first date. If everything worked to plan, he’d have at least a few days reprieve before he had to face the cameras again.

“Okay,” she said. “Let’s start with Bachelor Number Three. What is your ideal first date?”

“Um, I’d take you to a nice restaurant. Maybe find a local fair or carnival. We could walk around and stuff.”

Conscious of the cameras, Colt carefully shifted his gaze to Brad. Was this guy for real? Maybe the muscle-bound vegan was trying as desperately as he was to avoid being the first date. With his golden, pretty boy looks, and all of those muscles on top of muscles, Colt bet Brad auditioned for the show hoping to break into acting or modeling, not for love.

The bachelorette cleared her throat. “O-okay. And you, Bachelor Number Two?”

Trent tossed his long, poker-straight hair over his shoulder. He waved his hands, and the tattoos lining his arms became a blur of black, red and blue. “Dinner, then we’d hit the clubs, where we’d rock all night. Pa-pow,” he finished and did a quick encore to his earlier air drum set.

Good Lord, where did they find these guys? The only reason he’d ended up on the show was because he’d lost a bet, and Macavey’s niece worked in the casting department. Pick Me’s casting people must have chosen Trent and Brad for some sort of shock factor. Trying to pair either a wannabe rocker or a muscle bound blockhead with this woman just seemed wrong. On so many levels. Then again, the bachelorette was probably a former beauty queen using the show to enhance her career, so what did he care?

“Wow,” she said with another raspy chuckle, and Colt had to admit, he liked the sexy, teasing quality of her voice that held a hint of a Midwestern accent. “Ah, let’s move on to Bachelor Number One. What is your ideal first date?”

Excitement pumped through his veins. Now he had the opportunity to free himself from the show’s nonsense for at least a few days. But he would have to lay it on thick. Otherwise he’d end up stuck in Dallas longer than he wanted.

“Welp,” he purposefully drawled, hoping the tone would add to the backcountry hick persona he’d decided to go for. “I’m really into huntin’, and just bought myself a varmint rifle I’ve been itchin’ to try out on the coyotes terrorizin’ my fillies. So I was thinkin’ you and me could head out and do some shootin’.” He thought about adding that he’d bring a picnic basket filled with beer and beef jerky, but that seemed a bit over the top. “If we bag one of those critters, I’ll even have Ol’ Red, the local taxidermist, do his magic and you’ll have yourself a work of art you can display in your livin’ room.”

The silence that ensued made him want to burst out laughing. Especially when he pictured the director splicing in sound bites of chirping crickets. Yeah, after that answer there was no way she’d pick him for the first date. Hell, there was no way she’d pick him period.

After a pause long enough they could have taken a commercial break if the show was live, she cleared her throat. “Really? A varmint riffle? I’ve never shot one of those. Did you go with a twenty two caliber or a twenty five?”

“Twenty two.”

“A Hornet or a Remington?”

“Remington.”

“With a tri-muzzle break?”

The woman actually knew about guns? He shook his head. You’ve got to be kidding me. He’d thought bringing on the good ol’ boy, gun toting talk would have been a surefire way of keeping her from picking him. But it appeared his plan was about to literally backfire on him.

“Yeah, it has a tri-muzzle break.”

“Hmm. Interesting. I shoot left, is that a problem?”

“N-no,” he stumbled over the word when he caught the bald headed director waving his arms in the air.

The music kicked up, and Shepp broke in, silencing anything else he had to say about the rifle.

“Okay, Val,” Shepp began with unnecessary drama. “You’ve asked questions, received answers...now, it’s time for you to decide which one of these bachelors will receive the coveted first date.”

“You mean right this second?” she asked, and the audience laughed. Colt couldn’t help cracking a smile, too. She sounded as if she didn’t want to make a choice at all. He almost felt sorry for her. She had her pick of a tattooed wannabe rocker, a blockhead Neanderthal, and a gun toting hillbilly. Oh well, he thought, that’s just the price she’d have to pay for her fifteen minutes of fame.

“Val, I need an answer,” Shepp said as if this were a life or death situation. “Who will you choose?”

The studio darkened, then spotlights shifted over the stage. “Will it be Bachelor Number One?” Colt squinted when the beam hit him square in the face. “Or Bachelor Number Two.” The light focused on the rocker, Trent, then zipped to Brad. “Or Bachelor Number Three?”

Music infiltrated the studio as the lights flitted back and forth, to him, to the other bachelors. All the while, he kept thinking...don’t pick me.

Find Pick Me on Amazon and Barnes&Noble, and Kiss Me on Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Kobo, Sony, and iTunes.

I didn’t pick up my first romance novel until I was in my late twenties. Immediately hooked, I read a bazillion books before deciding to write one of my own. After the birth of my first son I needed something to keep my mind from turning to mush, and Sesame Street wasn’t cutting it. While that first book will never see the light of day, something good had come from writing it. I realized my passion, and had found a career that I love.

When I’m not writing contemporary romances and dark, romantic suspense novels (or reading them!) I’m chasing after my four kids and two neurotic dogs.

You can email me at authorkristinemason@gmail.com, visit my website at www.kristinemason.net or find me on Facebook!

 

GET READY for the LOVE ME SOME COWBOY Book Launch!!!  Release Day May 27!

Pre-Order at iTunes http://bit.ly/16cstHZ 

Love Me Some Cowboy
Lisa Mondello, Jean Brashear, Day LeClaire, Ginger Chambers, Barbara McMahon

Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense

ISBN: 978-1-939925-03-9

Book Description:

Who can resist a tough, rugged cowboy?  Not these feisty, determined women! 

Five full-length novels at a steal of a price!

In Nothing But Trouble by USAToday Bestselling Author Lisa Mondello, city girl Melanie Summers must spend an  entire month alone in the Wyoming wilderness with sexy rodeo cowboy, Stoney Buxton, without getting into trouble.  Possible?   Not a chance in the world! 

USAToday Bestselling Author Jean Brashear adds Lone Star flavor with Texas Secrets.  Boone Gallagher returns to the only home he's ever known only to find it's been willed to a sexy stranger who's intent on leaving.  He must keep her there for thirty days or it will be lost to them both. 

Love romantic reunion stories?  Then much-loved Harlequin author Barbara McMahon has the perfect book for you!  Crazy About a Cowboy brings you Sam and Lisa Haller, who divorced for all the wrong reasons.  Now Sam wants his ex-wife back for all the right ones. 

Once Upon a Cowboy by Day Leclaire, author of the wildly popular Dante's Legacy series, introduces Cami, a lovable, greenhorn spitfire determined to become a cowboy, despite the objections of her sexy rancher boss. 

And last, but far from least, beloved Dell and Harlequin author Ginger Chambers offers a heartwarming treat with Love, Texas, in which Cassie Edwards returns to the hometown she'd forsaken to negotiate the sale of land belonging to the Taylor family. Hard-working rancher Will Taylor, once her girlhood crush, is all man now and fighting hard to save his heritage. When attraction flares, will true love triumph?

  

Excerpt for Nothing But Trouble : Book 1 of Love Me Some Cowboy-

His jaw tightened. Yes, there was something definitely wrong here. And money had nothing to do with it. It had everything to do with this beauty standing in front of him, who was clueless about what she was getting her pretty little hide into. "No," he replied tersely.

"Mr. Buxton, I need your help."

"Tourist season is in full swing. I'm sure you'll have no trouble finding someone else."

He turned his back to her and began walking along the fence toward the barn, almost forgetting... Abruptly, he glanced up and saw the charred remains of the barn. The place where all his troubles had started just one year ago. It hadn't taken but a second for him to hear her boots digging into the dusty gravel behind him, jarring him from his thoughts.

"Then I'll do it myself," she said to his back.

His whole body stiffened. He angled back to read her face, to see if she was just being a spoiled rotten rich kid, trying to get her way, or if she was actually serious. Seeing her head held high and her arms crossed in front of her, he realized she was dead serious.

And dead she'd be if she stepped one boot into those mountains alone.

"You'll do no such thing."

Frustration flaring, he lifted his dusty hat and forced his fingers through the thick crop of black hair before returning the hat to his head.

"You just don't get it, do you? You're not asking me to take you on a theme park ride where you'll get to see the wonders of the world at a nice safe distance. This is God's country. The creatures that live up there don't know civilization, and you are no better than them. You could--probably will--get killed if you go out there alone." His lips twitched, taking a good long appraising look at the woman in front of him. "You might even chip a nail on that pretty hand of yours."

Links to the first chapter for each of the other books in the anthology

http://jeanbrashear.com/texas-tales/texas-secrets/texas-secrets-excerpt/

http://www.barbaramcmahon.com/excerpt-crazy-about-a-cowboy.php

http://www.dayleclaire.com/excerpt-once-upon-a-cowboy

http://gingerchambers.wordpress.com/love-texas/

What Readers Are Saying About These Authors:

"Emotional depth and situations that tore at my heart. This is exactly what I want from a romance." (about Ginger Chambers, Love, Texas)

"I can never get enough of Day Leclaire's novels. It's all about the characters, and these are especially lovable, funny, and heartwarming ... not to mention sexy. I really identified with Cami's act-first, think-later personality. Adorable!" (about Day Leclaire, Once Upon a Cowboy)

"A great story about second chances at love. A hunky cowboy and a feisty cowgirl and a cute little boy to round off this romance." (about Barbara McMahon, Crazy About a Cowboy)

"I really enjoyed this, er, literary foreplay. I knew that when these two finally made love, they wouldn't just be going through the motions—there were going to be some fireworks....Jean Brashear is a terrific discovery for me." (about Jean Brashear, Texas Secrets)

" Loved this book so much I didn't put it down till I was finished. Highly recommended for a very good read. “ (about Lisa Mondello, Nothing But Trouble)

http://www.facebook.com/onfirefiction

@onfirefiction

Pre-Order at iTunes http://bit.ly/16cstHZ

Stay Tuned for news on next week's Launch and Book Blog Tour.

On Conversations: #author Beate Boeker

Please welcome author Beate Boeker to Conversations today! She's here to talk about where ideas come from. Be sure and check out her novel Delayed Death, the first book in her Temptation in Florence series.

Lisa ~
____________

Where do ideas come from?

At every party, writers are asked where they find the ideas for their novels, and usually, the reply is very simple: In every-day life. Of course, this is something of a let-down, after all, it doesn't sound glitzy or exciting. Unfortunately, it's the truth. However, if you dig a little deeper, you'll find plenty of fun in exactly that answer.

I once read in a novel that two friends made dealing with their mother-in-laws bearable by coming up with a rating system of one to ten. Ten was for the crassest stuff and meanest comments that really hit low. The good thing about that system is that you feel better about a bad comment because you can say to yourself “hey, that's at least an eight – I wonder if my friend can top that today.”

It's the same for a writer. If you come across an unbelievable situation, something really totally unfair, and it makes you mad and you can do nothing about it at the moment – then, being a writer is wonderful. You take that situation, recreate it in a way so that nobody but you yourself recognizes the roots, and rip everything to pieces. Very therapeutic – and you've got great material for your next novel!

Of course, this also goes for fun situations. For my cozy mystery Delayed Death, for example, I took a typical trait of my father. He always was a very thorough man, almost fanatically so. Like when he went out to weed the garden, and you looked for him after half an hour, you found him with his arm deep inside a hole because he was making sure to get every little bit of that thistle's root out of the ground. Needless the say, the garden was a mess, but that thistle never came back.

It was the same with his concepts and beliefs. They changed throughout his life, and while it was sometimes exhausting, at least it was never boring because more often than not, his ideas were radically opposed to each other. These “phases”, as my mother used to call them, were influencing our lives, and I picked that up and gave the same kind of attitude to the heroine's grandfather Nico Mantoni. It's the underlying theme in the whole book, because Nico Mantoni had developed the very uncomfortable habit of reminding his family members of their “bad past” - and preferably, he did that in company. (This, by the way, is completely invented – my father never did that.) Of course, you don't make yourself very popular if you pursue this kind of hobby, and in the end, Nico Mantoni got himself murdered.

Now, the big question is if his death had anything to do with this last phase or if the motive was something quite different. Anyway, the investigating officer had motives galore, and that's what I needed.

Below is an excerpt with another idea I snatched from real life. A colleague once told me during a very amusing lunch break that she used to eat dry cat food as a snack when she was a child. I figured I could use that, and so the scene below came to life. In it, the investigating officer Stefano Garini is checking the apartment of Nico Mantoni in the presence of the heroine, Carlina, and she has to explain the presence of the cat food. I hope you'll enjoy this as much as I did while I was writing it.

As we start to chat, please tell me about your sources of inspiration!

    Garini opened another cupboard and lifted his eyebrows. "You said your grandfather ate peppermint drops?"

    "Yes. All the time."

    "That would explain the five packages I found in the cupboard."

    Carlina grinned. "Yes."

    "What happened to your grandfather's cat?"

    "Grandpa didn't have a cat."

    His eyes narrowed. "Are you sure?"

    "Yes, of course."

    He pointed at the top shelf of the cupboard. A cardboard box, open at the side, sat on the very edge of the shelf. The picture of a fluffy kitten looked at them from the cover. The box was filled with dry cat foot.

    "Oh." Carlina's heart sank. Why did he have to find that? I don't want to tell him.

    "Can you explain why he keeps cat food?"

    "It's a snack." She closed her mouth with a snap.

    "For which cat, if he doesn't own one?"

    "Um." Carlina could feel her ears turning hot. "It's not for a cat."

    "Signorina Ashley." He sounded patient now, too patient. "Will you tell me who ate that cat food or do you want me to keep guessing for another hour? Did he feed a rat?"

    "No." Carlina swallowed. "He . . . he ate them himself. As a snack between meals."

    His eyes bulged.

    "You see, they are very healthy." She pointed at the box. "They contain loads of calcium, and vitamin B, and --"

    "And they create silky fur."

    "Em. Yes."

    "Did your grandfather have silky hair?" A muscle twitched in a corner of his mouth.

    She bit her lip. "I don't think I need to answer that."

    He put his head to one side. "Did you ever try them?"

    "Yes, when I was a kid. He fed us all with them." She bit back a smile. "We loved them."

    "Did you, now?" He sounded thoughtful, as if he was already wondering which institute with extra secure bars would have room for the whole family.

    "They're crunchy, salty outside, and soft in the middle."

    "You make them sound delicious."

    She grinned. "You can try one."

    He lifted one eyebrow. "My hair is silky enough."

What do you do when you find your grandfather dead half an hour before your cousin's wedding? You hide him in his bed and tell everyone he didn't feel like coming.


Delayed Death is an entertaining mystery set in Florence, Italy. When Carlina finds her grandfather dead on the day of her cousin's wedding, she decides to hide the corpse until after the ceremony. However, her grandfather was poisoned, and she becomes the attractive Inspector's prime suspect. On top of that, she has to manage her boisterous family and her luxurious lingerie store called Temptation, a juggling act that creates many hilarious situations.

Order Delayed Death on Amazon HERE!

Beate Boeker is a traditionally published author since 2008 and now offers many full-length novels and short stories online. Several were shortlisted for the Golden Quill Contest, the National Readers' Choice Award, and the 'Best Indie Books of 2012' contest.

She is a marketing manager by day with a degree in International Business Administration, and her daily experience in marketing continuously provides her with a wide range of fodder for her novels, be it hilarious or cynical.

While 'Boeker' means 'books' in a German dialect, her first name Beate can be translated as ‘Happy’ . . . and with a name that reads ‘Happy Books’, what else could she do but write novels with a happy end?

Find Beate on:
www.facebook.com/Beate-Boeker
www.twitter.com/BeateBoeker
www.happybooks.de (sign up for my newsletter here) 

On Conversations: #interview with #author Karen Whiddon and her #newrelease

Please welcome author, Karen Whiddon to Conversations today! Check out her new Harlequin Romantic Suspense release, The Millionaire Cowboy's Secret and her interview below.

Lisa ~
____________

THE MILLIONAIRE COWBOY'S SECRET 

Undercover Seduction 

Undercover ATF agent Skylar McClain dreams of justice and lives by the law. She always gets her man. Armed with a killer smile and an undercover identity as a photojournalist, she should have no problem bringing down any criminal—even a sexy millionaire horse breeder. But no assignment has ever tested her boundaries like Matt Landeta. His connection to Mexican drug cartels makes him dangerous. Only, what if there's more to this case than right and wrong?
 
All Matt wants is revenge. Not a gorgeous distraction like Skylar, whose hunt for answers will complicate things. Yet an unexpected enemy is about to bring Skylar closer to the truth…and to Matt. And letting go of his darkest secrets might be the only way to protect her. 


INTERVIEW:

If you weren't writing as a career...what would you be doing?

I've been a licensed insurance agent since 1989.  Until two years ago, my husband and I owned and ran a commercial truck insurance agency.  So I guess it would be that.

What is the craziest thing you've done to research a story idea?

I don't know about crazy, but I did my local city's citizen's police academy.  After the course, I helped train rookie cops.  That was so much fun.  We did scenarios they provided and they came to my house.  Some of the scenarios were wild - like my husband had to pretend to be abusive, or we wanted to go all neighborhood watch on some bad neighbors and the officer had to calm us down.  The supervisor/trainer would stand back and take notes.  One time, I had to be a belligerent woman and a rookie put me up against the wall and tried to cuff me.  Fun times!

Everyone always wants to know about a writer's writing space. What's yours like? 

I love my writing space.  It's my grown daughter's childhood bedroom.  I have bookshelves full of books, my stuffed dog collection, and a lovely, huge desk near a window.

Do you write every day? Every week? Odd times? 

I write every day Monday - Friday.  I try to take weekends off, unless I'm close to deadline.  I work pretty standard hours, trying to be at my computer by 8am and finishing up by 5pm.

What is your favorite thing about being a full-time writer? 

Being with my dogs all day.  And not having to deal with customers, just characters in my book.  Also, writing full time allows me to really get deep into my story, to write outside on nice days, and to be happy with my life.

What are your upcoming books? 

I have a paranormal romance (Harlequin Nocturne) called The Wolf Prince out now, a Harlequin Romantic Suspense The Millionaire Cowboy's Secret out in May, another Harlequin Nocturne The Lost Wolf's Destiny, out in September, and a Harlequin Romantic Suspense Texas Secrets, Lovers' Lies out in October.  Plus I've self-published my 10 book backlist, which is a combination of paranormal romances (5) and contemporary romances (5).  Check them out on Amazon or Barnes and Noble or Smashwords.com.



 

Karen Whiddon lives in Texas with her hero-like husband and three dogs - a Miniature Schnauzer and two Boxers. Now a full-time writer, she writes every day and loves her life!

If you like romance, romantic suspense, paranormal, werewolves, shape-shifters, vampires, Faeries, or just plain enjoy reading about two people in love, check out her books!

www.KarenWhiddon.com
www.karenwhiddon.blogspot.com
The Wolf Prince - Harlequin Nocturne - April 2013
The Millionaire Cowboy's Secret - Harlequin Romantic Suspense - May 2013
The Lost Wolf's Destiny - Harlequin Nocturne - September 2013
Texas Secrets, Lovers' Lies - Harlequin Romantic Suspense - October 2013
 

On Conversations: #author Mona Risk with her #newrelease and a #giveaway

Please welcome author, Mona Risk to Conversations today! She's here to talk about the latest release in her Holiday Babies Series, Mother's Day Babies. For a chance to win a copy of Mother's Day Babies, all you have to do is answer her question below at the end of her excerpt.

Lisa ~
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Thank you Lisa and Ginger for inviting me to your blog and giving me the opportunity to introduce my latest release, MOTHER’S DAY BABIES.

The heroine, Barbara Ramsey, could be your sister, your cousin, your neighbor or dear friend—a woman who met a wonderful man years ago, fell in love and married him. Together they worked and struggled to raise beautiful children and give them a good education. A happy couple many envy, they understand and support each other. 

But suddenly their world shattered. He dies of a heart attack or a long painful cancer.

After thirty wonderful years with a man she’s always adored, she’s alone and lonely, and she tries to continue the same life on her own. A mother in the true sense of the word, Barbara helps her daughters, babysits her grandchildren, volunteers at the church, and makes an effort to visit with her friends.

She claims that her life is perfect. But she misses a man’s hugs and kisses and warmth. At night she cries and feels empty. Will she always be a mother and a grandmother—and a lonely woman when her children don’t need her anymore?

How about being a woman again, Barbara?

Let’s hear it from my heroine, Barbara, who lives and breathes for her five grownup daughters and their babies. 

Excerpt:

     “I can’t go to Paris with that gorgeous man.” Barbara Ramsey scowled at the full length mirror in her bedroom, turned around, and glanced over her shoulder at her reflection. “This dress looks even worse from the back.”
     “Nonsense, Mom, I hope I look that great at your age.” Standing in the master bedroom beside a gaping suitcase, Heather rolled her eyes. “After raising five daughters, one would expect a little extra flesh here and there. No big deal. A nice outfit will camouflage the bulges. Madelyn, hand me that black thing.”
     Her lips pinched, her eldest held out the long silk dress. “Too old-fashioned. Mom, you need a new evening gown.” Madelyn extracted two velvet sweat suits from the closet and shook her head. “Definitely not good for Paris. We need to go shopping.”

     “Why would anyone expect me to play the dating game at fifty-five with forty extra pounds on my hips?” Barbara pinched her side. Yep, definitely more than two inches there. Not that she usually cared about her weight, but under the circumstances...

     Instead of commiserating, the two young women burst out laughing. If Roxanne, Claire and Tiffany were here too, the five of them would have a swell time ganging up on her with comments and advice.

     “Mom, you’re beautiful.” Heather grabbed her mother’s shoulders and spun her back toward the mirror. “Look at your pretty face. You have almost no lines. How many people had told you that you look like our big sister?”

     “You’re too kind, sweetheart.” Barbara patted Heather’s cheek. “So what if I have good genes. I still can’t go to Paris with your sister’s boss.”

     “Mom, let’s put things in the right perspective. You’re not going to Paris as Lou Roland’s date. Roxanne and her family will be there too.” Madelyn threw aside the outfits she’d been holding and rubbed her mother’s back.

     “You’re just accompanying Roxanne on a business trip to France for two weeks,” Heather added. “Why do you assume he has an ulterior motive?”

     “I don’t assume anything. I just don’t know him very well. It’s been two months since we met at Roxanne’s friends’ wedding and I haven’t seen him since.”

     Madelyn planted her fists on her hips. “Lou calls you several times a week. You told me you chat and laugh for hours. You even called him your best buddy.”

     Heather chuckled, her blond ponytail bouncing on her back, and tapped her sister on the shoulder. “I bet you’re not aware that she even sent him a box of her famous cookies.”

     “No way!” Madelyn’s censorious look annoyed the heck out of her mother. “Well, well, if your friendship with Lou has reached that level, I don’t see the problem. It’s about time you started living again.”

     “My life is busy and perfect as is.” Barbara’s mouth twitched and she automatically reached to readjust the golden cover’s corners. She had a beautiful house, the same one where she’d lived with her late husband David for thirty years, and she still attended the same church where they were married. What more could she wish for?

     “Come on, Mom.” Heather threw her hands in the air. “All you do is spend your days in the kitchen, cooking or baking for your grandchildren and church events.”

     “And probably tasting your delicious food,” Madelyn added. “No wonder you’re putting on weight. It’s time to do something different and discover what the world looks like outside of Lexington, KY.”

     “I regularly travel to Florida and—”

   “Mom, visiting with my family and baking for the kids is not what I’d call a real vacation.” Madelyn shook her practical crop of blond curls.

Panic struck Barbara’s chest. Oh David, why have you left me? “Leave me in peace, you two. I’m a mother and a grandmother. Not a glamorous thirty-something bimbo like the women your sister’s boss usually dates.” 

So what do you think? Should Barbara accept Lou’s offer to travel to Paris with his TV crew and her daughter? His compliments flatter her and she’d love to accompany her daughter on a business trip with Roxanne’s boss.

Is she letting herself in for more than she can handle?

For a chance to win a copy of MOTHER’S DAY BABIES, let me know how you would advise Barbara. 

Blurb: Powerful News Director, Lou Roland is certainly not marriage material, yet he has suddenly decided he wants Barbara in his arms. Not an easy task when his pretty confidante from Kentucky proves so difficult to date—unless he follows her rules. Can the over-fifty confirmed bachelor and the widow loyal to her husband’s memory find true love and share a future?

MOTHER’S DAY BABIES is dedicated to the mothers we celebrate on Mother’s Day and those we remember with love.

Available for 99 cents at Amazon.com

About the Author:

From chemistry in the lab to chemistry between people. 

As a director of chemistry, Mona Risk traveled to more than sixty countries on business or vacation. To relax from her hectic schedule, she avidly read romance novels and mentally plotted her own books. Eventually she left a scientific career to share with readers the many stories brewing in her head. Mona likes to set her stories in the fascinating places she visits. 

Mona Risk’s books won Best Romance Novel of the Year at Preditors & Editors; Best Contemporary Romances at Readers Favorite; Epic Award Finalists; and many stellar reviews. 

Other books in The Holiday Babies Series:

VALENTINE BABIES

CHRISTMAS BABIES

BABIES IN THE BARGAIN

Links: www.monarisk.com

www.facebook.com/MonaRisk

www.twitter.com/MonaRiskS

Mona Risk Amazon Page of books