Cherry Adair Interview & GIVEAWAY

Today I have the awesomely awesome (hush, I can say what I want) of authors! Today I have bestselling author many times over, Cherry Adair! Welcome back Cherry! Let’s talk about your newest book, Relentless! 

 

Relentless mostly takes place in Egypt. You’ve used this region before. What is it about this area/culture that fascinates you?

 

I’ve always been fascinated by Egypt, even as a little girl. Maybe it’s a reincarnation thing? I’m pretty sure I was a slave, because I still have an aversion to housework! lol

 

You love to put your heroines in situations that are completely out of their element, but yet all of them are extremely capable. Isis is a prime example of a woman believing herself out of her element. When you’re brainstorming ideas what is your process with character development? Do they just jump out at you or do you have to think about it?

 

The best characters for me are ones who arrive fully formed in my head. But that’s not always the case. I start with their birthday (decided very quickly with absolutely no thought) I build their personality from the character traits of that sun sign. If that is who I want them to be, great. If not (better!) I have to give them the life experiences that formed them into whoever I want them to be when the story starts.

 

Can you give us a favorite line or excerpt from Relentless?

“You have to go now.”

“Go?” He blinked her into focus. “Go where?”

“To your own room. I’m not having sex with you tonight, James Connor Thorne.”

“You’ve got to be- Why the bloody hell not?”

“Because you’re just not ready for me.”

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She was a tightwad who made every penny work twice, once for each side. He could go first class. She’d go coach. Thorne purchased two first class tickets, and told her to shut up and enjoy her heated nuts.

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The kiss was wild and bordered on rough. It was the kind of kiss long term lovers shared, not the touch of two virtual strangers.

 

Each of your books, regardless of series, are action packed with car chases, weapons and suspense. Do you have multiple contacts in different fields for research, or do you deal with only one or two main people? Have any funny research stories?

 

I have multiple people from all walks of life who are fabulous about sharing their experience with me. I had a heroine who was a nuclear physicist (seriously? What was I thinking?) I didn’t know anyone who knew anyone. I mentioned the dilemma to my husband, and he said “Oh, I know a guy.” “You know a guy?” It turned out he knew a man from dog agility who was a nuclear physicist! When asked, the physicist was delighted to help me. I told him what I needed my heroine to know or say, and he gave me the tech speak. That was the only time I’ve ever had a character who I didn’t understand! I had to send the finished scene to him so that he could tell me if what I’d written made sense. Lol

 

Over the course of the Lodestone series you have hinted at the re-appearance of Gideon. Will readers ever see him again? Come on, TELL MEEEEEEE!!! 

 

IF Gideon Stark is alive (a- Gideon Stark is such a great name for a hero and b- his body was never found) I’m sure he’ll surface in 2014.

 

Ooh you’re sneaky! Thank you so much for stopping to talk to us today! 

**Giveaway – Cherry is offering up one paperback copy of either Hush (book one) or Afterglow (book two) to an US or Canadian winner! Simply leave a comment here and a way for me to track you down. Contest open until April 15th at 11:59pm EST with winner announced shortly after**

Order Links: Amazon/B&N

Lately, the gods are not smiling on Isis Magee. How else can she explain the bizarre events that have led her on a relentless high-stakes chase from Seattle to London to Cairo in search of the elusive tomb of history’s beautiful and enigmatic queen Cleopatra?

A Hidden Treasure

Isis has only two leads: a fragmented trail of clues offered in rare moments of lucidity by her father, a once-respected archaeologist whose last dig ended in disaster, and the unique sixth sense of sexy Lodestone agent Connor Thorne.

The Passion of a Lifetime

Connor also encountered tragedy in the Egyptian desert not long ago, and as Isis pulls him deeper into her mission to restore her father’s reputation, he is secretly plotting a revenge of his own. Propelled across wild, untamed sands by vicious unknown forces, the duo is seduced into a labyrinth of secret chambers. When they fear they can go no further, they surrender to their incendiary desires and discover that the prize each separately seeks may be waiting at the end of the same dangerous road.

It’s A Takeover…..

Last October when I went to Ellora’s Cave Romanticon I met some pretty crazy ladies….Danica and Lea in  particular called me over and we spoke in very unhushed tones about sex and erotic romance. There was even a guy video taping part of it…oh yes. They asked me what I thought of a spoof erotic romance. I was instantly on board because really…who hasn’t thought “What the ever loving fuck” when you’re reading romances? Guys can’t come that many times. There isn’t really a dick that big. What if I randomly blurted out what goes through my head during sex? Which, of course, are never sexy thoughts. My husband doesn’t want to hear “What’s that squishy noise?” or “Look how my arm fat jiggles when I’m bouncing around”…. Apparently I am not alone. A group of erotic romance authors have come together for greatness of epic proportions. Fondled and Gobbled was born! I wanted to interview the ladies behind these books….below is the mass craziness that results from trying to talk to them all at once. It’s not pretty. It’s downright hilarious.

Fondled and Gobbled: Someone Had To Do It
http://www.ellorascave.com/fondled-and-gobbled-someone-had-to-do-it.html

The perfect man—with the imperfect cock and oral skills. The Dom who isn’t a dom, and the man who proves it to him. The alien with dessert-flavored semen and three cocks. The older man (a kajillionaire with a penthouse in Seattle…) who has limitless ability to come all night with his naïve little virgin. A woman on a diet who craves a feast of meat and finds herself five Broadshaft Brothers who can deliver.

If you’re looking for the perfect romance with the perfect hero and heroine, this isn’t it! This is a series of spoofs, parodies, just-for-fun lighthearted take-offs. It’s for all us longtime, hard-core romance readers who can laugh at the clichés, purple prose and “suspend your disbelief” plot devices that haunt our beloved favorite genre.

Fondled and Gobbled: Going Back for Seconds
http://www.ellorascave.com/fondled-and-gobbled-going-back-for-seconds.html

The virgin whose carefully planned hymen removal doesn’t work out the way all the romance novels told her it would. A busty broad doing what she can to get over her penis anxiety—assisted by a cadre of male strippers. A not-so-bright (and not so “big”) alien who comes to claim his life mate, and the Earth girl who wants to be claimed at all costs. A cursed, mute shapeshifter who needs to pop his cherry with his unsuspecting fated mate.

If you’re looking for the perfect romance with the perfect hero and heroine, this isn’t it! This is a series of spoofs, parodies, just-for-fun lighthearted take-offs. It’s for all us longtime, hard-core romance readers who can laugh at the clichés, purple prose and “suspend your disbelief” plot devices that haunt our beloved favorite genre.

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Group Interview Chat for Ramblings of a Chaotic Mind

Nikki: “Ok, so tell me…who’s idea was this really?”

Danica A: I’m totally pointing stabby fingers at Lea

Anya B: NOT MINE! *hides*

Lea B: *raises hand* that would be me… but it didn’t take long for others to chime in. LOL

Griffin C: Cant remember. But I think Lea

Amy R: Cristal roped me in, but I believe she said it was Lea.

Anya B: The cray-cray was contagious

Danica Avet

Danica A: And I wasn’t even drinking when it happened originally, so yeah…It’s Geeky’s fault

Cassandra C: Yeah Lea is the culprit, wait, mastermind behind the project.

Lea B: I think it took the words… wouldn’t it be cool if… and we were running.

Griffin C: We all fueled the insanity

Anya B: Cristal roped me in too

Danica A: Then there was talk about rolls and froggie styles on the floor in the bar

Lea B: Drinks were definitely involved LOL And the Oklahoma, and froggie…

Griffin C: oh yes!

Amy R: Froggie styles? 0_o

Anya B: Yeah, I remember hearing that and realizing I needed IN

Cara C: LOL!!!

Lea B: Both of which are from Griffin

Griffin C: I’m limber

Sasha D: *falls over*

Danica A: She is

Lea B: We were talking about how its Griffin’s fault that we’re together!

Anya B: WAIT, wasn’t it your fault? Now you’re blaming Griff??

Griffin C: Dont blame me!

Sasha D: actually it’s Lea’s fault we were all going a lil capt insano crazy after the con and the drinks and Lea was the one who tried to band us together and make sense

Piper T: I thought the idea was a little…screwy (no pun intended) when I was approached. The group sent Lea to lure me in…i.e. we’re not crazy! It’s nice in here…. You should totally come an play… The rest of the group was like the insane aunt hidden in the closet. But it was too late for me by then…

Cassandra Carr

Griffin C: Wait. Wasn’t Danica the narrator?

Danica A: I didn’t do anything illegal!

Danica A: Did I?

Cara C: Yeah Danica was the voice for the app.

Griffin C: And I was the visual. We made a good team.

Lea B: OMG the app! LOL I forgot about the voice.

Sasha: *stares off into space* Next year we’re selling tickets

Piper T: but my “creative” side is very rebellious, so it starts working in the background, the gears turning, “could it be done? What would be funny and hot too??” At some point before I turned down the offer my brain had already written the story

Danica A: and we get Nick to stand there with his trophy in a lewd, not nude pose

Danica A: unless he really wants to be nude

Lea B: ROFL Nick and that trophy!

Lea B: Okay, so it was in THAT environment that this whole thing was born!

Nikki: With “the book that shall not be named” rise over this past year, what do you think is the future for a genre that previously sold well already, but more low-key?

Anya B: Ladies will start sinking their teeth into the real stuff, and the men will run scared.

Amy R: A question that makes me think. *brain melts*

Griffin C: I think more people are talking about it so I expect more break out sales

Anya Richards

Cassandra C: Geez. That sounds like a serious question. Do we “do” those kind of questions?

Sasha D: I think we’re entering the Golden Age of Smut and I like it

Lea B: Ugh… can I just mutter about the book?!

Sasha D: I think there’s very little we won’t do Cass

Anya B: I won’t go there, Lea. I just won’t

Cassandra C: This is a good point Sasha.

Amy R: I’ve been with EC since 2007, I see an uptake in recognition.

Lea B: I don’t want to, and I will admit in this company that I haven’t even finished reading the first book.

Amy R: I’ve never read it.

Cassandra C: Okay, if you want me to be serious. I *hope* it will bring in more readers but honestly I’m not sure it will.

Amy R: I have no desire to read “it” …like ever.

Piper Trace

Anya B: Me neither. My sensibilities were shocked, and it had nothing to do with the sex

Cassandra C: I read all three and my brain still hurts.

Danica A: honestly, as much as I hate bandwagon stuff, I’m all for things that will sell my books…even though there’s barely any nasty naughty stuff going on at all. It’s almost inspirational even

Anya B: I was so damned hurt that THAT was the erotic romance breakout book.

Griffin C: Inspirational LOL

Anya B: I mean, freakin’ stab me through the heart, why not? Cassandra Yeah the total crap is what sold our genre. Excellent.

Piper T: I think 50 shades will bring kink a bit more into the mainstream. In much the same way that Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl” song made me immediately go out to a club and French kiss a girl. But only because the song was so catchy and upbeat. The catchiness & upbeatness made me feel like kissing girls was suddenly something I could talk about at work and at Christmas dinner.

Anya B: OMG I want to have Piper’s babies

Amy R: LMAO

Piper T: I’m working hard, bitches!!!! Did anyone get the subtle answer to the question hidden in my answer, PLUS that I was kidding about kissing a girl??

Amy Ruttan

Piper T: not that I wouldn’t

Piper T: I just didn’t

Lea B: I think Piper should just answer all the questions and we can chime in with DITTO

Nikki : What can I expect in these two books?

Cassandra C: Caramel-flavored cum?

Amy R: Scooby Doo talking, werewolf lovin’

Cassandra C: A forty-eight-year-old dude who can shoot a dozen times and still want more?

Lea B: Triple cocks

Griffin C: Spaceships, aliens and life mates

Sasha D: hilarity w/ a side of smexy

Griffin C: Little dicks too

Danica A: It’s the epic story of a girl searching for her cookie…and not getting it until she brings out Hoss

Sasha D: or in a word…. Fraken-Vag

Lea B: Side busting smut

Amy R: Helicopter cocks, right @Anya

Cassandra: : Definitely hilarity. Freaking tons of hilarity. Wanted to swear there but I held back.

Anya B: Subs that D om and doms that Sub

Griffin C: Yellow teeth and red eye aliens without a lick of sense

Danica A: Which (Hosss) is a sex toy, by the way. And a cookie is an orgasm. For those of you not in the know

Anya B: The report of helicopter cocks has been greatly exaggerated

Cristal Ryder

Amy R: *whappah, whappah, whappah*

Cassandra C: “Come to the dark side, we have cookies! Which are apparently orgasms.”

Danica A: And everyone wants orgasms

Cassandra C: And cookies.

Danica A: (has the shirt…not the orgasms one, but the other one)

Lea B: I’m laughing so hard I can’t type.

Griffin C: What question are we answering?

Nikki: Which one of you is the craziest…point some fingers ladies

Piper T:

Danica A: Griffin.

Anya B: PIPER!

Danica A: Piper

Amy R: Piper

Anya B: WAIT…DANICA

Griffin C: I say Piper is bat crazy

Lea B: Right now?! It’s a toss up… but most of the time I’d tag Piper with that!

Danica A: Uh no, I’m the tour guide in the nut house

Cassandra: Only one of us can be the craziest? Eesh. I’m going with Griffin. I have no idea why though.

Sasha D: Griff

Lea B: Or Griff

Sasha Devlin

Amy R: All of us?

Piper T: what??

Lea B: Or, maybe Danica

Griffin C: Lea do you remember when we first met Piper?

Danica A: I have THE VOICE for it

Piper T: I am batSHIT CRAZY!!

Anya B: (anyone but me. I’m a sober, sane influence on the group. Or I TRY to be)

Lea B: Piper you’re the craziest!

Griffin C: She sat her computer down next to us and said “You bitches watch my computer with your lives!”

Piper T: I hope you understand why I don’t do drugs or drink hard liquor. Because this is how I

am sober.

Lea B: Griff- Holy Hell I forgot about that!

Griffin C: And then she walked away and stayed gone for about an hour

Lea B: Piper wanted to write with us but needed something other than the diapers in her purse.

Piper T: HAHAHa you guys were great computer watchers

Griffin C: LOL. We just said “OK”

Piper T: oh yeah! “watch my computer, I’ll be right back” *……1 hour later……*

Danica A: But then…I read Anya’s story and realized she’s a freak. Then read Cara’s story and realized she’s a freak. Then there’s Amy who’s all into redneck duck hunters *sad smile*

A.M. Griffin

Griffin C: So I want to bring up here that Danica thought I was famous. Dont edit this out!!

Lea B: LOL @ Griff

Piper T: You guys were so sweet. I remember being struck by how sweet you were for moving my computer with you when you moved.

Griffin C: And it made me happy

Piper T: awwwww

Danica A: I did!

Lea B: We all thought you were famous… it was the sexy undies!

Piper T: and I had to go replenish my swag (I think that’s what I went to do)

Piper T: but as you’ve figured out…I’m easily distracted

Danica A: I thought Griffin was someone I should have known…and then she did an impression and talked about Oklahoma (not the state) and I realized this bitch was cray cray

Griffin C: I tried to act famous after that. All good and shit

Amy R: OMG. I LOVE that musical

Danica A: Swigging wine at the dinner table from a canteen

Sasha D: not that kind of Oklahoma Ames

Amy R: Dang.

Nikki: Any other shenanigans brewing with you ladies writing together again?

Anya B: Oy vey, when will it end is the right question…

Cassandra C: Other than volumes 3-2,184? Nah.

Sasha D: Let’s go w/ Cass’ answer

Danica A: really, there’s way too much insanity in the world for us NOT to make fun of

Amy R: Ditto @Danica

Cassandra : We have material for decades. Centuries.

Anya B: AND if we don’t do it in our loving way, someone else will in a less loving way, and then I’ll have to kill them

Danica A: I mean, hello…did we not just have a discussion about Amish spoofs???

Amy R: Rub me in jam and lick me clean on top of my quilt

Danica A: ROFL @ Amy

Anya B: Shenanigans is one of my favorite words. We (da family) decided that the cops here should have a law called “creating shenanigans” that they could hassle the kids with

Lea Barrymire

Lea B: Other than the next 3 volumes of F&G? Oh, I’m sure there will be shenanigans aplenty!

Piper T: you mean other books? or just shenanigans? because there’s not enough time for all our shenanigans

Piper T: in fact I think this group is 15% work and 85% shenanigans

Cara C: Just wait til we have the blowup dolls @ RomantiCon13

Anya B: As much as 15%? That’s generous

Danica A: Oh yes, blow up dolls, tiaras…sashes

Sasha D: uh WHAT?

Lea B: And turkeys.. oh, my

Cassandra C: Low-cut shirts…

Danica A: We have T-shirts, thongs

Anya B: Jumping cocks

Lea B: AND THE APP!!!

Griffin C: I see a lot of shenanigans in our future. Why just the other day me and Danica were dancing and working out in the gym.

Cassandra C: I might bring a flask.

Cara C: Yes THE APP

Danica A: *gasp @ Griffin*

Lea B: LOL @Griff

Danica A: You weren’t supposed to SAY anything about that!

Griffin C: LOL. What? I’m proud of our high kicks

Piper T: I’m still lost…my answer is…Volumes 3 & 4?

Piper T: is that the right answer?

Piper T: Ooh! I’ll be appearing in Columbus soon!!!!

Griffin C: Oh!! Are you going to the sexapolooza Piper?

Cara Carnes

Piper T: some sex show….

Piper T: is that it?

Griffin C: I’ll be there with my street team. You are so hanging with us.

Piper T: I’m signing books from 10-midnight

Anya B: Be prepared to have your boots licked Piper!

Griffin C: Feb 1-3rd

Piper T: on Friday

Cassandra C: With the brand-new bus wrap.

Piper T: YAY! Griffin you’ll be there???

Griffin C: Yes Piper!

Cristal Ryder, also known as Honey Hotness was on the run from the bees buzzing around her. They all want her honey. So sadly she couldn’t be with us today.

****If you want more of this wonderful craziness…find all the ladies at  http://cabalofhotness.blogspot.com ****

Mary Burton Q&A

A Q&A WITH MARY BURTON, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF

THE SEVENTH VICTIM

 

 

Mary, welcome! Thanks for joining us.

 

THE SEVENTH VICTIM is your latest suspense novel. Will you tell us a bit about it?

The story begins as Texas Ranger James Beck returns to duty after three weeks on administrative leave, earned by his refusal to drop his investigation of the politically well-connected suspect he believed killed ten-year-old Misty Gray. He’s soon on the scene of another murder. This one sets off alarms when Beck notices the similarities between it and the unsolved case of six women killed in Seattle. All blonde, the victims were strangled, wore white dresses, and each had a penny in her hand. The seventh victim survived.

I also introduce Lara Church, who’s recently returned to the Austin area, having inherited her grandmother’s house, where she’d spent all of her childhood summers. She had plans to sell it but hasn’t been able to do so. It’s too nice to be back and settled in among comforting memories. Lara’s been on the run for seven years, rarely staying in one place long, never expecting to again have a home, and having given up hope of regaining memories of the night she escaped death at the hands of the Seattle Strangler.

When Beck shows up demanding her help, she refuses. She’s tried desperately to recall that night. Now that she has a chance at a normal life, she’s determined not to be dragged back to the hellish world of shrinks and crime scene photos.

 

Why Austin?

Austin is the state capitol, a university town and site of the central office of the Texas Rangers, which means my investigators have access to sophisticated forensic science. It’s home to musicians and artists, so it’s a perfect place for Lara to try to make a go of her photography. It’s rich in history and San Antonio and the Hill Country, which are very different from Austin, are close. I also have the freedom to move between them if needed to advance the plot or just to change up the setting a bit if I want.

Plus, Texas has hundreds and hundreds of lonely open miles with lots of places for a killer to roam. I also liked contrasting Austin against Seattle, home to detective Mike Raines. Whereas Seattle is known for cold dreary days so Austin is known for hot, dry sunshine. Raines underscores the differences between these cities as he searches Austin for a “good” cup of coffee and complains about the dry heat.

 

Is it common for a victim of a violent crime to have memory lapses, confusion, or even amnesia about the event the way Lara does?

Memory lapses can happen in the case of a concussion. While I was working on the details of THE SEVENTH VICTIM and trying to figure out how Lara could have lost her memory I met a young lacrosse player who talked about a head injury he’d suffered. He said he couldn’t remember the three days before the injury. Memory loss and concussion do occur. Once I was sure of that, this critical plot point fell into place.

 

Why does Lara use such an old fashioned camera? Is it something contemporary artists use today?

You still see modern artists using this method of photography. It was most common during the Civil War. It’s very hands-on and requires a great deal of attention and introspection. Lara uses a bellows camera, with glass negatives that must be prepared one at a time. It’s called wet plate photography. It takes a skilled hand to prepare the negatives with silver nitrate and it takes lots of patience to take the images. I think the images are beautifully moody and rich.

 

In THE SEVENTH VICTIM, the police had never found the Seattle Strangler, even though it was seven years later. Are there a lot of open cases with suspected serial killers that have never been solved?

I think there are quite a few open murder cases out there. The Seattle Strangler killed women who worked the streets, who are at a very high risk for violence. Their cases often aren’t high profile and don’t always get the attention of very overworked detectives.

 

What makes a killer a serial killer?

I don’t think anyone really has the answer to that. Some are driven by evil whereas others see themselves on a righteous mission. It’s something I think about a lot when I craft killers.

 

How hard is it to introduce a romantic relationship amid the violence?

The relationship for me starts the moment the hero and heroine first see each other. Its not love at first sight but there is a tension between the characters that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the book. And as the plot deepens and the romance grows, I like it best when the romance and the mystery are at cross-purposes. Each adds conflict to the other. As the killer grows more violent and the love between the hero and heroine grows, the danger jumps, as do the stakes.

What I love about romantic suspense is that solving the suspense gives the reader a sense of justice whereas the romance leaves the reader with hope that in the end good wins over evil.

 

What do you need to know when you begin a new suspense novel?

I always start with motivation. The killer’s motivation is the most important to me because he is the driver of the story. If not for him, the hero and heroine might not ever meet. Why does the killer do what he does? It colors so much of the story. And then I turn to the hero and heroine. Once I know their strengths and weaknesses then I can turn the killer loose.

 

Your recent novels have been set in your home state of Virginia–in fact six of them, three in Richmond and three in Alexandria. Are you just tired of your home state?

LOL. No. I love Virginia but I’ve turned six different serial killers lose in the commonwealth and it’s time to give the good folks of Virginia a break. Plus, setting is a character in my mind. Setting literally sets the stage and drives so many elements of the book. It was time for a new setting to change things up a bit.

 

You’ve been getting very strong reviews for your novels over the past several years. Does this go to your head? How does it affect the way you write or your intuition about what readers would like to see?

The reviews have been great compliments and I appreciate them all, but I don’t dwell on them. In fact, I only worry about the story that’s in front of me right now. I’m always trying to raise the bar and find new ways to surprise my reader.

 

What’s next?

NO ESCAPE comes out in November 2013 and I put the Rangers to work again in that one, as I do in a third Texas based romantic suspense, which is finished but doesn’t have a title yet. I’m working on a new book right now–a romantic suspense–and loving every minute of it.

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ABOUT MARY BURTON

New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist Mary Burton is the author of nineteen novels including her latest thriller, THE SEVENTH VICTIM. Her highly praised books include Before She Dies, Senseless, Merciless, Dying Scream, Dead Ringer and I’m Watching You.

 

A Richmond native whose family’s roots run as deep as the nation’s, Mary still lives there. She attended Virginia’s Hollins University and began a career in marketing. Eventually, she decided the stories buzzing around her brain really did deserve her attention. She left her job and wrote her first novel, a historical romance published in 2000.

 

Mary wrote eleven more romance novels and three novellas before embracing the dark world of suspense. She even brought danger to her novella Christmas Past, which appears in the New York Times bestselling holiday

anthology Silver Bells. Her story, Snow Maiden, was featured in the USA Today bestselling collection A Hero’s Kiss.

 

Research led her to both the Henrico County Citizens Police Academy and the Richmond FBI Citizen’s

Academy as well as Sisters in Crime’s Forensic University program and the Writers Police Academy in Jamestown, North Carolina, where the focus was on undercover work, autopsies, and the theories behind why people kill.

 

Mary writes full time. When not killing people, she spends time in the kitchen, practices yoga, enjoys her family and her miniature dachshunds, and completes courses toward her Baking & Pastry Arts Certificate at the University of Richmond’s Culinary Arts Program. She has just completed her next novel, NO ESCAPE, which will be published in November 2013.

 

http://www.maryburton.com http://www.facebook.com/maryburtonfanpage http://www.kensingtonbooks.com

THE SEVENTH VICTIM by Mary Burton

Zebra Books/Mass Market Original/Fiction

February 2013/On Sale 1-29-13/$7.99 ($8.99 Canada)/978-1-4201-2505-4,Ebook 978-1-4201-3906-6

 

 

CONTACT: Joan Schulhafer, Joan Schulhafer Publishing & Media Consulting, 973-338-7428, joan@joanschulhafer.com and Vida Engstrand, Kensington Books, 212-407-1573,

vengstrand@kensingtonbooks.com

Linda Lael Miller Interview and GIVEAWAY

Hi everyone! Let’s welcome Linda Lael Miller to the blog today! I have a short interview with her about her writing and then we can talk a bit about her upcoming book, Big Sky Country. 

Can you tell us something about yourself that not a lot of your readers know? 

I’m a fairly able Tarot card reader, though I see the cards in an archetypal way and don’t believe in fortunetelling per se.  That said, I have several friends who are impressive physics.

Do you have any quirks that come out while you are writing? 

Yes.  I’m told I use the word “proverbial” a lot, and almost everything I write includes an adopted pet.  With six horses, two cats and one little dog, I’m the original animal fanatic.

What is your daily routine as a writer?  

I’m an early riser, and I spent the first little while feeding critters, letting them in and out, drinking coffee, and writing my Morning Pages, ala Julia Cameron.  I start writing around nine a.m. and always finish by two or three in the afternoon.  Creatively, I’m definitely a morning person.

What is your favorite book?

Another hard question.  There are so many that I love—“Anne of Green Gables”, all of Dorothy Dunnett’s historical novels, the King James Bible, because it’s so poetic.

 What is your favorite part of the writing process?

Once I’ve picked up speed and really gotten to know the characters, the story seems to fly along, and I have to hurry to keep up.  I love it when the story becomes a real to me—I often say it’s like watching a movie in my head and writing down what I see.

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

The “First Lady of the West,” #1 New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller is back with a new series about Parable, Montana-where love awaits. The illegitimate son of a wealthy rancher, Sheriff Slade Barlow grew up in a trailer hitched to the Curly-Burly hair salon his mother runs. He was never acknowledged by his father-until now. Suddenly, Slade has inherited half of Whisper Creek Ranch, one of the most prosperous in Parable, Montana. That doesn’t sit well with his half brother, Hutch, who grew up with all the rights of a Carmody. Including the affections of Joslyn Kirk, homecoming queen, rodeo queen, beauty queen-whom Slade has never forgotten But Joslyn is barely holding her head up these days as she works to pay back everyone her crooked stepfather cheated. With a town to protect-plus a rebellious teenage stepdaughter-Slade has his hands full. But someone has to convince Joslyn that she’s responsible only for her own actions. Such as her effect on this lawman’s guarded heart.

*Thanks to the wonderful people at Moss Media, I have one paperback copy of this to give away to a US or Canadian winner! Simply comment to enter and please leave a way to find you if you win. This will stay open until July 3rd 2012 @ 11:59pm EST with the winner announced the following day*

G.J. Koch – Author Interview & GIVEAWAY!

Today let’s welcome back Gini Koch! Wait, oops, sorry Gini isn’t here. Instead let’s welcome for the first time, G.J. Koch! Hi G.J.!!! I have just finished reading Alexander Outland (look for my review soon) and I want to talk to you a bit and get your thoughts for the readers out there that may not know a lot about your work. Let’s go ahead and get right to it then….

1. Tell us a bit about yourself and your alter ego G..J. Koch

Well, I’m an author with a LOT of voices in my head. Some of those manifest as characters. Others, however, manifest as the creators of said characters, and those voices become my pen names. (Hey, it’s a controlled form of schizophrenia; I make it work for me.)

As Gini Koch I write fast, fresh and funny science fiction with a lot of romance, action and humor, which includes the Alien/Katherine “Kitty” Katt series for DAW Books/Penguin and the Martian Alliance Chronicles for Musa Publishing (http://www.musapublishing.com/).

As G.J. Koch, I write humorous, action-oriented science fiction for Night Shade Books. (I know! What were the odds?) Not the hard stuff, though. Because that requires actual scientific knowledge or at least actual scientific research. Knowledge may be power and research may be cool, but they take time away from writing jokes, action, and romance, and being witty in the face of death is what it’s really all about.

2. Alexander Outland is your new book, tell us a bit about it?

Trouble’s brewing out in space, and Alexander Outland — the least likely hero in the galaxy — and his eccentric crew have to save the day, despite the fact they’d prefer to take the money and run.

Alexander Napoleon Outland is the best pilot, and ladies’ man, in the galaxy. But Nap, as his friends call him, is more than that — he’s a schemer with a heart of gold he desperately wants to hide, a soft spot for other people’s cargo and his exotic weapon’s chief, and the unerring ability to find the biggest misfit on any planet or space station and somehow join that person onto his crew.

Nap’s not your classic hero, but that tends to make him the right guy for the job…whatever the job happens to be.

3. What makes this different then what we’ve seen from Gini?

It’s funnier than my Alien/Katherine “Kitty” Katt series.

I’ll let that one sink in for a moment.

But truly, it is. There are other differences, too. It’s set in the far future, not present day, and the sex is toned down (though the romance is not and the sexual innuendo and flat-out begging and propositioning is higher). There’s no connection between the two series at all, other than they’re both set in the Milky Way Galaxy, both have a lot of action going along with the science fiction, romance, and humor, and are both written by moi.

Nap has the same kind of smart mouth as Kitty does, though. So if you like or love her, you’re gonna love The Outland, too. (Nap asked me to say that if you don’t like Kitty, you’ll like him anyway.)

4. Are you currently working on anything else?

Girl, I am ALWAYS working on something else. LOL As I write this answer I’m working on the second installment in my Martian Alliance series for Musa Publishing, “Three Card Monte”, as well as Book 7 of my Alien series for DAW Books, Alien in the House, and, of course, the next volume of the Outland series, Alexander Outland: Space Avenger.

5. You are always writing or attending conventions, do you get any downtime? What hobbies do you have?

What is this “downtime” of which you speak? LOL Honestly, no, I don’t get much. Before I was a full time author, I never used to watch television. Now I actually allow myself the little bit of downtime, mostly because I love “Castle”. DVRs are the greatest gift to a busy author, though, because there is no longer any such thing as appointment TV, which means I can make my deadlines and then catch up on the few shows I really like.

My hobby used to be writing. That turned into far more than a hobby. I don’t think I really have any hobbies now, though the hubs would say that avoiding housework is my current hobby. And he wouldn’t be wrong.

6. What are your daily motivations to write?

My deadlines and the voices in my head.

Really, those are it. Before I had deadlines, the voices were all I needed, because they were the characters, telling me their stories and motivating me to help tell them the “right way”. Now, I have both the carrot (the story ideas) and the whip (the deadlines) and they keep me going.

7. If you could meet one person fictional or real, who would you want to meet?

I’ve gotten this question before, and it’s one I think everyone considers at least once in their life. I find it hard to narrow this one down, because there are so many…Albert Einstein, Abraham Lincoln, Robert Benchley, P.J. O’Rourke, Marilyn Monroe, Sherlock Holmes, Richard Castle, Nathan Fillion, Ben Affleck, Chris Evans, Billy Zane…(note how quickly we went from the life-changing folks to the hotties? Yeah, I’m a simple creature, me.)

Oh, who am I kidding? I want to meet Captain Malcolm Reynolds from “Firefly” and “Serenity” fame.

8. The success of your Kitty Katt series sets the bar high, where do you want to be in 5 years?

You know, so many authors are so demure about this, I probably ought to be, too. But I’m not. Total World Book Domination. That’s my goal. The Alien and Outland series’ on every bookshelf, my ebook series’ on every e-reader. And more besides.

That said, to achieve this lofty goal takes time, drive, and staying power, which I truly hope I have.

The people who make the decisions for how well you do, though, are the readers, the fans, so it’s really up to them for how well an author does. Sales matter, pre-orders matter, whether you hit a bestseller list matters, and so on. It’s a tough business in some ways, but I love it. And most of all, I love my fans. My fans are the best fans in the world (I may be biased, but I’m not wrong, either), and they’ve helped me to get where I am today (wherever that may actually be in the great pantheon of the literary world) and will be the ones who help me the rest of the way, so to them I say, “Thank you, and please do your girl a solid and pre-order Alexander Outland: Space Pirate. I promise you won’t regret the decision.”

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PREORDER: Amazon/B&N

Captain Alexander Outland of the Sixty-Nine (short for Space Vessel 3369, of course) is the best pilot in the galaxy. He’s also a pirate, a smuggler, and loved and loathed by women in umpteen solar systems. His crew of strays and misfits includes an engineer of dubious sanity, a deposed planetary governor, an annoyingly unflappable Sexbot copilot, and a slinky weapons chief who stubbornly refuses to give the captain a tumble.

Outland just wants to make a decent living skirting the law, but when an invisible space armada starts cutting into his business, he soon finds himself in hot water with the military, the mob, mad bombers, and an extended family of would-be conquerors. And that’s not counting an occasionally telepathic spy . . . .

Like any sensible scoundrel, he hates heroics. They’re risky and they don’t pay well. But to keep his ship and crew in one piece, and make time with a certain hard-to-get weapons chief, he might just have to make an exception–and save the galaxy in spite of himself!

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Thanks for stopping by today! You (and all your alternate personalities, lol) are always welcome to swing by and chat!! 

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UPDATE: 5/24/12 – GJ is going to have a giveaway here on the blog! YAY! I will leave this open until 5/31/12 at 11:59pm EST. The winner will receive a copy of Alexander Ouland: Space Pirate! US winners can choose between a physical paperback or a e-copy and international residents will receive a e-copy only. Comment to enter  

Cherry Adair Interview!

Morning everyone! Today I wrangled err asked Cherry Adair to stop by and chat for a few minutes. If you know Cherry you know how busy she is and how completely dedicated to her craft she is. I may have had to bribe her to get her to stop by. Cakes, pies, a few hot men, I promised a lot. Her new est book, Afterglow hits store shelves next week and just so happens to also be my March Book Of the Month. Click on the picture over on the right to get to Amazon and preorder yourself a copy! I’m also running a contest that ends TODAY at 11:59pm EST. Three winners will score themselves a copy of Afterglow just by commenting! Click HERE to enter! 

Since you were born and raised in South Africa, can you tell us a bit about your childhood? What would you say the biggest difference between where you live now and where you grew up is?

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First, I’ve lived in the USA longer than I lived in South Africa. (although I still, apparently, have my accent) And it’s been a very long time since I went back. Growing up in Cape Town was pretty much like growing up in say California or Peoria. I’m aware that some people think South Africa is covered by jungle with wild animals roaming around, but I lived in a suburb outside a large, cosmopolitan city. I *did* hear the lions roaring at night however, but that was because we lived a mile from the Cape Town zoo.

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Since many of your books takes place in Europe what would say your biggest hurdle in research is?

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These days it doesn’t matter where a book is set, research is merely a click away. I do a lot of research and fact-checking on line, but I’m fortunate to have readers all over the world, and chances are, if I ask, they are happy to answer. The tricky part is not putting in more information than the reader might want to know, just because *I’m* fascinated. I’ve had readers tell me the route from one place to another, and/or send me pictures of what they saw along the road. I’ve had fans go to a location to count how many steps there are to a particular building. Now I realize no one cares how many steps there are, or if the souk was on the left or the right, or if they sold pineapples not papayas, but I care. This information makes what I love to do even more fun for me, and hopefully for the readers as well.

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Afterglow deals with the complexity of the drug making and distribution. Do you have firsthand knowledge of drug manufacturing? HAHA. How did you do research on that?

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Oh, no! You found my illegal lab??!! lol Nope. No firsthand knowledge, but I have fantastic and reliable resources. I started out with my local pharmacist, then talked to a doctor, drug counselor, physiatrist, drug manufacturer and also a drug rep. And after compiling 40 plus hours’ worth of conversations, on just this one subject, there’s barely a breath of any of that information in the book! That’s the problem with research, a little information goes a loooong way. AFTERGLOW is a romance, not a text book. lol

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What do you do when you hit a roadblock in your writing?

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It’s pretty rare for me to hit roadblocks because I always plot before I sit down to write a new book. But if I’m stalled it’s probably due to one of three things- I need a break because my brain is fried. Or because I have the scene in the wrong persons point of view. Or because I didn’t plot well. Or (#4 out of 3) the scene isn’t supposed to be written-. J

Thanks, Nikki – I always love to visit you, you ask such interesting question. J

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Pleasure with a price.

A high-profile celebrity wedding in Monaco is the kind of A-list event security specialist Rand Maguire excels at. Everything goes like clockwork, until guests start inexplicably losing all their inhibitions. . . .

Painful secrets from the past.

Rand is no stranger to the effects of Rapture. His chemist father’s attempt at a cure for depression caused Rand’s mother’s death years ago, and put his father away for her murder. Now someone is circulating Rapture in a campaign of terror, intending to manufacture and sell it on a global scale. But with no leads, Rand feels the heat.

Passion with no limits.

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Find Cherry:

Facebook

Website

Twitter

Goodreads

Pinterest

 

Carrie Ryan Interview and GIVEAWAY

Morning everyone! I’d like to welcome Carrie Ann Ryan to the blog today! She is a new to me paranormal romance author and I recently took a few minutes of her time to ask her a few questions:

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Thank you so much for having me here today!!!

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What was your motivation to start your writing career?

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I’ve always been an avid romance reader, but after reading so many, I had characters in my mind that were my own and needed to be told.

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Why paranormal romance?

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I love making up my own worlds and rules. With paranormal, I can go pretty crazy and be okay LOL.

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What do you say to those people that say that paranormal romance is past its peak?

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That those people need to read another genre for a bit and come back to it LOL. I read contemporary, paranormal, historical, western, gay, ménage and sci-fi. I love it all. If I get tired of one thing, then I read something else until I come back to it.

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Tell us a bit about your most current book.

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A Taste for a Mate is about what happens when just when you think your life is about to change for the good, something bad can come and take it away.

Here’s the blurb.

Jasper Jamenson’s only responsibility to being the Beta of the Redwood Pack, second son of the Alpha, is to protect the Pack from themselves and the human world. After a century of selfless service, his brother’s new found mating forced him into taking a good look into his life. He isn’t sure he wants a mate, but fate may have other ideas.

Willow Delton is a skinny, bakery owner – the type most woman love to hate. Being without family, she finds herself alone to the Greek god with green eyes who saunters into her bakery every morning. Her desire to follow him, to be with him, overrides every rational sense she possessed.

Jasper and Willow are drawn together, despite every nuisance that works against them. But evil beyond even Jasper’s supernatural compensation will make war against him, by going after the only thing in his eternal life he desires – Willow. Is Willow’s heart enough to overcome Jasper’s soul to save her life? A fight he cannot win, but to save her life – he must.

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Are you a plotter or a pantser?

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I’m a plotter by far. I have series, characters, books, and chapter outlines LOL.

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Who would we find on your bookshelf right now?

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Everything! LOL. I just started reading Lori Foster though and have fallen in love with her LOL.

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Is writing your only job? What other “hats” do you wear?

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Oh, I’m a chemistry instructor by day and a kitten-momma, wife, and writer by night. Very busy LOL.

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Tell us one very random, off the wall, thing about Carrie Ann Ryan.

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My eyes used to be brown, but after a car accident are now gold. Think the weird eyes from Twilight without the weirdness LOL.

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Thank you so much for stopping by today Carrie! 

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Comment to enter to win a FABULOUS signed swag pack from Carrie! CONTEST OPEN UNTIL 3/16/12 AT 11:59 est. Open to US and Canada residents only. 

Sara Ramsey Q&A

ARA RAMSEY TALKS ABOUT HER DEBUT NOVEL,
HEIRESS WITHOUT A CAUSE, AND WHAT TO EXPECT
NEXT FROM THE MUSES OF MAYFAIR…

Welcome, Sara! And congratulations on the release of your first book!! You’ve set both of your novels, the Golden Heart Award Finalist HEIRESS WITHOUT A CAUSE and the Golden Heart Award Winner
SCOTSMEN PREFER BLONDES, in Regency England. Were Regency novels among the first romances you read?

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Yes, though the very first romance I read was a western, Brave the Wild Winds by Johanna Lindsey, which I read at age twelve. My family lived in Ukraine for a year while my father worked for an agricultural nonprofit, and I read anything in English that I could get my hands on. As soon as I returned to the US, I devoured every romance my local library carried. Johanna Lindsey’s Regencies were a natural starting point, and from then on, I was hooked on the period.

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You started The Muses of Mayfair series by writing SCOTSMEN PREFER BLONDES and then you wrote HEIRESS WITHOUT A CAUSE, which has just been published. Time-wise it’s the first book in your The Muses of Mayfair series. Why did you write them “out of order,” so to speak? And when do we get to read SCOTSMEN PREFER BLONDES?

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I originally intended for HEIRESS WITHOUT A CAUSE to be the sequel to SCOTSMEN PREFER BLONDES. However, when SCOTSMEN didn’t get a traditional publishing deal, I put it aside and wrote HEIRESS as the first book in the series. The rationale was that we would try to sell HEIRESS, and then do some rewrites for SCOTSMEN and sell it as part of the same deal. As it turns out, I love having SCOTSMEN as the second book – Amelia, the heroine in SCOTSMEN, plays a key role in HEIRESS that she wouldn’t have been able to play if she were minding her own business as a newlywed. SCOTSMEN PREFER BLONDES should be out by the end of March 2012.

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We meet Madeleine in HEIRESS WITHOUT A CAUSE, in which her muse calls out to her and she (gasp!) ends up performing on the London stage. Will you tell us a bit about the three friends who are the other Muses of Mayfair?

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Madeleine is an actress, but at the start of HEIRESS she’s unhappy because she can’t pursue her passion in private – an actress must have an audience, after all! The other muses are able to conceal their identities, even though there’s always a risk they’ll be caught. Madeleine’s cousin, Lady Amelia Staunton, writes Gothic romances under a pseudonym – and there are times in HEIRESS when Madeleine wishes that Amelia had stayed holed up with her characters rather than trying to rewrite Madeleine’s story. Amelia stars in the next book, SCOTSMEN PREFER BLONDES. The next muse is  Ferguson’s sister Ellie, the widowed marchioness of Folkestone. A painter, her artistic expression has been blocked since her disastrous marriage to her former husband. But his cousin and heir is about to return from a spying mission in India, and Ellie’s encounter with him will unlock everything. They star in THE MARQUESS WHO LOVED ME, which will be out sometime in June. After that comes the story of Miss Prudence Etchingham, a bluestocking with an interest in history. She has been corresponding with other scholars who think she’s a man, but when she gets caught up in an investigation into an ancient artifact of mysterious origin, she’ll find a passion that goes beyond anything she’s read about in the history books. Her book is still untitled, but it should be out by early fall 2012.

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Who were some of the other stars of the theater at the time Madeleine was on stage? And, in addition
to Shakespeare’s work, what other sort of plays were commonly performed?

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Sarah Kemble Siddons was the most acclaimed actress of the age; she retired in 1812, the same year that Madeleine made her debut. She was most famous for playing Lady Macbeth, although she played many of Shakespeare’s other heroines to great acclaim. Her family consisted of a number of great actors and actresses, including her brother John Phillip Kemble, and her niece, Fanny Kemble. Dorothea Jordan wasn’t the greatest actress of her generation, but she was one of the most famous, if only because of her long-lasting affair with William, Duke of Clarence, who later became King William IV. She
had ten children with him while acting on the stage, often playing “breeches roles” in which she wore men’s clothing and played a male part. She couldn’t marry the duke and eventually died in poverty, but her children were given titles and/or married well, and her descendents include David Cameron, the current British Prime Minister. There were a lot of plays written every year for the stage. Only a few theatres were allowed to stage drama, but many smaller theatres staged comedies, musicals, and pantomimes. It was also possible to attend opera and ballet performances.

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What attributes do you share with your protagonists—especially Madeleine and Ferguson—in HEIRESS WITHOUT A CAUSE, and Amelia and Malcolm in SCOTSMEN PREFER BLONDES? Humor? Resilience? Intellect? Feeling disenfranchised?

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I think all of my books deal with the issue of finding a path that feels true to oneself regardless of society’s expectations. My heroines are all trying to pursue their artistic passions even though they should be thinking of marriage, and my heroes tend to be unconventional and rebellious, too. However, I also feel pretty strongly about honor and loyalty, which makes things interesting for my characters – how can they be true to themselves without betraying those around them? Beyond that, all of my main characters tend to be some combination of smart and funny. They tend to laugh a lot. I guess I feel that no matter how bad things are, there is always something to laugh about, and I think their humor makes them feel more real than if they were dark and brooding all the time. (Although they do their fair share of brooding too!)

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What compels you to write?

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I absolutely love to tell stories. I make up stories in my head all the time. I’ll see someone on the street and create a whole back story for them without ever having a conversation. Writing is a better outlet for my storytelling tendencies than making up stories about me. In an effort to keep my friendships, I put my fictions on the page rather than in my relationships. I also think writing is a deep act of connection. Writing lets me connect with readers, makes me feel like my voice has been heard, and gives me a way to show myself to others. It’s also cathartic; even though my characters aren’t autobiographical, I learn more about myself through my writing than anything else.

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Your writing has been called fun and feisty—is it?

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Ha! I hope so! It would probably be more accurate to say that my characters tend to be fun and feisty, and their interactions with each other are meant to be entertaining. But my books aren’t entirely light romps – there’s emotional depth in them, too, as the characters learn more about each other and dig deeper into their own souls.
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Will we see Madeleine and Ferguson again? Are you working on your next book? Do you have anything else being published this year?

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Madeleine and Ferguson play a supporting role in SCOTSMEN PREFER BLONDES, and may make an appearance in Ferguson’s sister Ellie’s story, THE MARQUESS WHO LOVED ME. SCOTSMEN PREFER BLONDES is in the final editing stages and will come out in March. I’m working on THE MARQUESS WHO LOVED ME and have written the first part already. It should be out later this year. I have a glimmer of an idea for Prudence, the fourth member of the Muses of Mayfair – if she cooperates (uncharacteristically!), her story will come out in fall 2012.

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Please recommend a few books to put on my winter reading list.

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If you read paranormals, the book at the absolute top of my list if Kresley Cole’s Lothaire, which I’ve been looking forward to for years. I predict that it will be the hot paranormal book of the season. In the Regency/historical world, I can’t wait for A Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean. I’m also looking forward to Anna Randol’s debut novel, A Secret in Her Kiss— it’s set in the Ottoman empire, which is a refreshing change.

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www.sararamsey.com

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EXCERPT:

HEIRESS WITHOUT A CAUSE, Muses of Mayfair
After the second intermission, there should have been many empty seats as theatre goers went off to other amusements. But according to Madame Legrand, the lead actress was such a success that she kept everyone until the end. The best they could do was stools near the stage. “Madame Guerrier already rivals the best actresses of our time,” she said as she
accepted their money. “You are just in time, too. She is about to kill Claudius.” “She is playing Hamlet himself? Not Ophelia?” Ferguson asked. Madame Legrand nodded, leading them inside. “Strange, I know. But when you see
her, you will wonder how the role could ever be played by another. Even the great Mrs. Siddons’s performances as Hamlet are cast into the shade by her.” That was high praise indeed — Mrs. Siddons was the greatest actress of her generation. His companions snickered. None of them believed that the next star of the stage would be found in Seven Dials. Madame Legrand ushered them to a door near the foot of the stage. The orchestra, which was not blessed with
good instruments or the talent to play them, was mercifully falling silent. As with many other small venues, they
played music under most of the play to skirt around the legal monopoly held by the few theatres allowed to stage
serious drama. After a whispered order from Madame Legrand, a footman picked up four small stools from a
darkened corner and carried them a few feet away from the door, setting them in front of a merchant and his irritated
wife. As they settled into their seats, Ferguson realized he had never heard a theatre so silent. Even Marsham and his
cronies stopped their jokes, shamed into it by a sharp rebuke from the harpy behind them. Most theatres were merely
an excuse for people to congregate, with the audience ignoring the actors on stage—but here, every head in the
house turned in the direction of the “man” who entered from the wings. The actress wore clothing more suited to the previous century, with a well-powdered wig, an elaborate coat, breeches, and high-heeled shoes. Her face was partially obscured by the wig—the disheveled hair of Hamlet in his maddest hour—and the frothy cravat high up under her chin, but there was a definite feminine tilt to her nose. He guessed that they were in for a tedious hour. Her figure was trim and neat, but she lacked the stature to be convincing as a man. But then the actress opened her mouth and he understood why the audience was enthralled. The last act was familiar to him; Hamlet’s lines about the skull of “poor Yorick” would turn to melodrama in the hands of a lesser actor. Yet even though she was small, her voice was rich, warm, and imbued with precisely the right amount of tragedy for the moment. Her French accent was also more convincing than Madame Legrand’s. It was a voice made for whispering naughty desires in the dark, and yet somehow suited to Hamlet’s unraveling sanity. He stared at her as her voice washed over him — then stared more intently as he realized that he was seeing a woman far more clearly than even the fastest society ladies, in their low-cut bodices and dampened chemises, could ever be viewed. She wore padded shoulders to pass for a man, but the flare of her hips and the soft curve of her buttocks in the scandalously tight breeches betrayed her. He looked down, to the slender calves outlined in ivory hose, then to the perfectly trim ankles giving way to diminutive feet within the bejeweled heels. Her damned cravat unfortunately concealed her bosom, but the hint of its swell was there. Even in Hamlet’s madness—especially in his madness— she was a vision.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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Award-winning Regency romance novelist Sara Ramsey first obsessed over Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden set in England at the turn-of -the-century. She succumbed completely upon reading Johanna Lindsey’s Regency historical novels. She was entranced by this place with history, manners, fashion and mores she loved, but also a time period she couldn’t get enough of. Sara Ramsey was home. She was thirteen. It’s not surprising that when this Anglophile and romance reader decided to write, she followed her heart back in time to Regency England. It may have been unexpected, however, when this Google marketing alumna with a degree from Stanford University in Symbolic Systems gave up her Silicon Valley job to do so. Sara’s first complete manuscript earned her the prestigious Golden Heart Award in the Regency category from the Romance Writers of America and will be published in March 2012 as SCOTSMEN PREFER BLONDES, the second of four Muses of Mayfair novels she has planned. The first, HEIRESS WITHOUT A CAUSE, honored as a finalist for the Golden Heart Award in 2011, has just been published, and has been named a barnesandnoble.com Nook First title. Sara was born in Wayne County, Iowa where her family’s roots go back 150 years. She had her first taste of foreign travel when her father accepted a job with an agricultural nonprofit and moved the family to Bila Tserkva, Ukraine for a year. They were the first westerners to visit the town in seventy years. She recalls
their adventure saying “it was pretty crazy, going from a tiny town where everyone knew each other to living in a Soviet-style apartment building in a large city.” Sara next left Iowa for California to attend Stanford and remained in the San Francisco area following graduation. “My entire family lives in Iowa,” she notes. “I’m the only one who left.”
After graduation, she worked at Google in communications and advertising for seven years before electing to write full time. Her work with Google gave her new opportunities for travel, taking her to Hyderabad, India for six months and to Dublin for three. (“Two countries that have obviously had a very complex relationship with Britain.”) Now, with two books written and one in progress, award recognition, and terrific response from early reads, Sara hopes she’s about to achieve her goal—“getting my books in the hands of the most readers at a compensation level that can fund my shoe budget.”

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Mary Burton Q&A and GIVEAWAY

MOTHER, BAKER, WIFE, YOGA ENTHUSIAST, AND KILLING MACHINE— 
MARY BURTON TALKS ABOUT HER LATEST FORAY INTO
CRIME IN HER NEW “ALEXANDRIA” NOVEL,
BEFORE SHE DIES

Welcome, Mary!
Before we talk about BEFORE SHE DIES, your latest Alexandria set novel, please tell me—is it true the first two books in the series, Senseless and Merciless, were the best selling of all of your books so far?

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Yes. And, as you can imagine, I’m delighted. I always hope each book will help me reach new readers and it’s great to see it continue to happen.

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Your last few books were all set in your home town of Richmond,
weren’t they?

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Yes. I really enjoyed creating a bit of havoc close to home—and being able to actually go check out the settings for some key scenes without having to pack a bag. Why did you move on to Alexandria? I had a great job offer in Northern Virginia, and I’d always liked visiting my grandparents when they’d lived in Alexandria. I really enjoyed our four years in the city—it’s incredibly diverse. I’d always wanted to set a story there and when the time came for a new setting Alexandria fit the bill.

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You brought some characters with you when you “changed venues,” didn’t you?

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Richmond detective Malcolm Kier was a favorite among readers, so I had him move on with me for the series. He transferred to the Alexandria Police Department’s Homicide Unit where he teamed up with Deacon Garrison. Are they in BEFORE SHE DIES?
Tangentially, yes. They’re both part of Charlotte Wellington and Daniel Rokov’s story. Deacon and Eva Rayburn from Senseless are still together, but only Deacon makes an appearance in this book, as does Malcolm. Angie Carlson is there, as well. You may recall that Charlotte was Angie’s boss—both are high powered attorneys. Angie actually appears via a series of phone calls, and her scenes are a big part in moving the story forward.

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Do all these relationships get confusing?

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Apparently only to me. Readers don’t seem to have any problem remembering who’s who, where they first met them and who their favorites are.

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Why did you decide to tell Charlotte’s story this time around?

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I had to! You know, she was first a character in Silver Bells, the holiday anthology I worked on with Fern Michaels, JoAnn Ross and Judy Duarte—which was the first time my name and work appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. My novella was
Christmas Past and Charlotte was a walk-on character that I didn’t expect to see again. Readers loved her and I couldn’t forget her—or ignore her. She stayed in my mind, so when I moved the books to Alexandria it made sense to include Charlotte. By the time I finished writing Senseless and Merciless, it was clear—Charlotte had to have her own story and she had to have a strong hero. Enter Detective Daniel Rokov, a man quite willing to go toe-to-toe with Charlotte at her most irascible.

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Your serial killer is determined to save souls—to make victims confess and beg for forgiveness. I
know you’re writing fiction, but does your research into the motives of criminals—especially multiple
killers—show a quest for redemption as something that recurs in actual cases?

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When I build my villains I try to give them as much care and attention as the hero and heroine. I’m not so sure if there is a softer side to real life killers but in novels it works for me to give the bad guys a bit of nobility, even if it is only in their own minds.

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Reviews for all three novels have been absolutely glowing. One says Senseless will appeal to fans of Stieg Larson (Publishers Weekly). BEFORE SHE DIES is called a “page turner” by RT Book Reviews and in its starred review Publishers Weekly says it “will have readers sleeping with the lights on.” Certainly, your work has been praised in the past, but attention seems to have ratcheted up, both in volume and accolades. Do you agree? How important are reviews to you?

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It’s always wonderful to get nice reviews. It’s very gratifying to know that the work you’ve put so much effort into is recognized. I do seem to be getting more recognition these days and that’s great. It really does feel good to hear from readers who tell you they couldn’t put your book down. But once I’ve read any kind of review or praise I put them aside so that I can get back to the work in
front of me. Most days my total focus is the current book I’m writing. It always seems I’m completely distracted by character motivations, timelines, plot devices, you name it.

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I know you research extensively as regards law enforcement procedure to make sure your stories are realistic and believable. How does that influence your writing?

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Focusing on the reality of police work helps to keep me grounded. I challenge myself to solve the problems I create in a way I believe a real policeman might. And, considering the resources available to most police departments, I have to do my best to solve the crimes with good detective work and not so much on fancy DNA tests or high tech forensic equipment.

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You frequently deal with issues of family, belonging and your characters’ own sense of identity. Is it simply because that makes for great fiction or do you see this as something many people face? If so, do you believe people confront these sorts of issues in today’s society more so than in the past?

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We all have family. And most of us have shared joys and frustrations with family. It’s universal. It made sense that my heroes, heroines and even villains would have the same struggles as you or I. For me, family makes characters more believable. I’m not sure people confront issues better today than yesterday. Some of us do a better job than others. But emotions can be difficult and sloppy. And I think it’s fun and satisfying to read about characters who tackle problems head on or who say what’s on their mind.

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What’s next?

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I’m tackling a new book now called The Seventh Victim. It’s set in Austin, Texas and will be
published in February 2013.

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Thanks, Mary!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A Virginia native whose family’s Richmond roots run as deep as the nation’s, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Mary Burton also resided briefly in Alexandria, the setting for BEFORE SHE DIES. She graduated from Virginia’s Hollins University, began a career in marketing and, after a decade, left her job to begin writing. Burton’s first book was published in 2000. Eleven more romances and three novellas followed before she turned to serial killers for her suspense novels, BEFORE SHE DIES, Senseless, Merciless, Dying Scream, Dead Ringer and I’m Watching You, and the novella Christmas Past, featured in the New York Times best selling anthology Silver Bells.
Mary’s commitment to realism in her work has led to eye-opening interviews with local law enforcement, to forensic seminars and to the firing range. She is a graduate of the Henrico County Citizens Police Academy and the Richmond FBI Citizen’s Academy, participated in Sisters in Crime’s Forensic University program and attended the Writers Police Academy in Jamestown, North Carolina for seminars on autopsies, undercover work and motive. An avid baker and an accomplished cook, Mary also practices Astanga yoga, enjoys her miniature dachshunds Buddy and Bella, and pursues her Baking & Pastry Arts Certificate at the University of Richmond. Mary Burton lives with her family in Richmond and is at work on her next novel, The Seventh Victim.

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Bestselling author Mary Burton is making life difficult again for Detective Daniel Rokov and his colleagues in Alexandria, Virginia’s Homicide Unit in BEFORE SHE DIES, her new novel of romance, murder, and suspense. Senseless and Merciless, the first of Burton’s “Alexandria” thrillers, were published in 2011. Embraced by reviewers and readers, they managed to exceed sales  of her popular Richmond set novels, I’m Watching You, Dead Ringer and Dying Scream. As in past books, Burton brings back some of readers’ favorite characters, such as Rokov, Detectives Malcolm Kier and Deacon Garrison, Angie Carlson and high-powered attorney Charlotte Wellington. Charlotte is a woman with secrets. She’s reinvented herself, fighting hard to escape her past as a youthful, orphaned carnival fortuneteller and the horror of her sister Mariah’s murder. Today, no one would guess that her new name, law degree and perfect exterior hide memories of Grady Tate, the hard, cold alcoholic carnie boss who had been her stepfather. They also disguise the hole in her heart left by Mariah and her daughter, who was adopted as an infant.

“Burton just keeps getting better!…gripping…the characters are flawed and wonderful.”
—RT Book Reviews (four star review) on Merciless
“This is a story to read with the lights on.”
—BookPage on Senseless
“Violent and terrifying, this chilling thriller is an engrossing story.”
—Library Journal on Merciless

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When Grady shows up offering to trade his silence for help with a trumped-up shoplifting charge, she is stunned to find out that she’ll be defending eighteen-year-old Sooner, the niece who was eight days old when she last saw her. Furious at Grady for reneging on his promise to find Sooner a real home, she’s even angrier when she learns Sooner’s been working as “Madame Divine”—the fortune teller role her late mother and both Mariah and Charlotte played. Leaving court after having charges against Sooner dismissed, Charlotte runs into Rokov. The memory of their all-too-recent night together rekindles her fear that he thinks their casual affair can become something more. Rokov, however, has too much on his plate to worry about his love life. He’s just come from Alexandria’s touristy Old Town, where a young woman has been found dead, staked to the floor of an abandoned building, the word “witch” tattooed on her forehead, her body surrounded by a circle of salt. A second ritualistic killing confirms suspicions that a multiple murderer is at work, and hints at a pattern among the victims. Both are connected to the occult. Grady becomes a key suspect as news of similar deaths along the carnival’s route emerges. Meanwhile, emotions run high between Rokov and Charlotte as he tries to break through the hard exterior she’s created to protect herself. Suddenly, Sooner goes missing. Charlotte’s certain it’s because of Grady trying to increase business by touting Sooner’s psychic ability and saying she was on the trail of the killer. Unfortunately, it seems the killer’s motives go much deeper, with roots planted two decades ago and unfinished business that can only be concluded with Charlotte’s death.

*Watch for my review on Friday!*

Thanks to Joan Schulhafer Publishing and Media Consultation I have copy of the first two books in the series to give to one lucky winner! The winner will receive a copy of both Senseless and Merciless! This is open to US and Canada residents only. I will leave this open until Friday 2/10/12 at 11:59pm EST. 

Cherry Adair Interview and GIVEAWAY

On August 30th Cherry Adair’s new book, Riptide come out! See my review tomorrow! This is the second book in her Cutter Cay series. The series is about 3 brothers: Zane, Nick and Logan, who run a diving company that finds shipwrecks and sunken treasure. Along the way they also meet their female match in unique ways. These women are competent, feisty females that definitely give these boys a run for their money.

Today I have Cherry here to answer a few short questions for us! *WAVES* Hi Cherry!!! Welcome back! I’m so excited you’re here with us today! I just have a few questions for you, I know you’re busy……

What is it that draws you to the water in this series?
I love that the deeper one goes in the ocean, the more treacherous it becomes. Add the lure of discovering valuable treasure, hot romance and exotic locals to the beauty and danger, and you have the ingredients for a kick-butt adventure.

Have you even been to the islands around Italy for research on the the area Bria is from?
I have, many times. I adore Italy, and have travelled there extensively under the guise of “research”. I love the people, and the culture, and as an ex interior designer- the colors make my heart sing. I started my writing career with THE MERCENARY after our first trip there, wring it longhand on the flight home. It was set on the small, fictional, island of Marrezo. Now RIPTIDE brings me full circle, as the heroine Bria fled from the island as a child. It was SO much fun to return there for a visit.

Explain Nick’s determination to be emotionally detached for those who haven’t read the book.
Nick Cutter’s father was a womanizer. The man was the original Casanova of the Caribbean, and had a woman in every port. Nick watched his mother’s pain, and vowed never to be like him. A quiet child who felt deeply, Nick vowed to be as unlike his father as night from day. That, coupled with being a Scorpio, cemented his nickname “Spock.”  Unemotional and detached, Nick became a perfect foil for exuberant, feisty Princess Gabriela Visconti. And writing how Bria melted Nick’s stoicism and reserve was SO much fun. lol

Nick Cutter and Jonah

If you had your own boat would you prefer something functional like Zane’s or posh like Nick’s?
Are you kidding? A dilapidated floating wreck like Zane’s Decrepit, or Nick gorgeous, luxury ship the Scorpion? Hmm. Cramped quarters v. luxury suits? Tiny showers v. spa bathrooms? Zero facilities v a state-of-the-art gym and steam shower? Me cooking v. a world renown chef placing a delectable meal in front of me? No contest. I’d pick the Scorpion. (Shhhh me too LMAO)

Your heroines all seem to be completely capable of taking care of themselves when push comes to shove. Is having that strength important to you? Why?
While all my heroines have their secret fears and limitations, I want them to be strong, and daring and willing to take risks. Usually they know their own faults fears, and failings, but they figure out how to overcome them during the course of the story. I want my readers to relate to these woman, to know that they can do anything, be anything, aspire to anything. Our paths are all so different. We might not be able to shoot a sniper rifle, or dive a hundred feet under the ocean for treasure, or fly a helicopter (or frankly – have awesome wild monkey sex and multiples Os five times a day! Lol) But we’re all the heroines of our own lives. We know the difference between what’s real and what’s fiction. When we read it’s like taking a mini vacation. It’s fun to be taken out of our frenetic day, and to become someone else for a few hours.

Agreed. Especially the 5 O’s a day part- damn that would be nice huh?

 

In celebration of the release of Riptide, Cherry is offering you a print copy of the first book in the series, Undertow! You can read my review of that HERE.

SHE TAKES THE PLUNGE.

Teal Williams is content with her career as a ship’s master mechanic—until Zane Cutter, the “Casanova of the Caribbean,” makes her an offer she can’t refuse: to climb on board with him for a real-life treasure hunt. Teal must help him dredge up a shipwrecked vessel containing an abundance of gold, silver, and emeralds—and she’ll claim part of the prize.

HE’S BLOWN OFF COURSE.

Zane needs a mechanic—not a lover—and Teal, who can also dive, is perfect for the job.  So it suits him just fine that Teal is completely immune to his charms…or so he tells himself.  But with a deadly enemy in their midst—one who’s silently edging closer—Zane and Teal sink into troubled waters. Trapped in the middle of a perilous sea, they have no one to turn to but each other as they face down a danger that runs unfathomably deep—and a passion that runs even deeper…

*To enter please leave me a way to contact you if you win and answer this question: “If thrown into a action packed situation (like in many of our beloved romantic suspense books), do you think you would excel at handling the life or death scenario?” *

Open to US and Canada residents until 11:59pm EST on 8-29-11. Winner announced on 30th.